Control Home Heating and Cooling Costs with New Smartphone Controlled Thermostat and Save Hundreds $$$

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Consumers can dramatically cut heating and cooling costs by installing Hunter Fan’s new Universal Internet Thermostat, which is controlled in-home or remotely with a smartphone app.

“The Hunter Fan team saw that current Internet connected thermostat products all suffer from complex installation problems and cost issues”

Consumers can save an average of $180 a year using a programmable thermostat according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Hunter Fan’s Universal Internet Thermostat is the best valued programmable thermostat controlled by a smartphone, retailing for only $99.99. Competing products with similar functionality retail for more than $150 and do not offer Hunter Fan’s 5 Minute Installation™ system and ease of use.

“The Universal Internet Thermostat works with a broad range of heating and cooling systems and can be controlled from anywhere, anytime with a smartphone and our best-in-class app,” said Martin Heckmann, Group Marketing Manager at Hunter Fan. “The Universal Internet Thermostat is ideal for people and families who want to warm or cool their homes before they come home, and save money by turning off their heating & cooling equipment when they are traveling.”

Hunter Fan teamed with Arrayent’s Internet-Connect™ Service to deliver a superior product experience.

“The Hunter Fan team saw that current Internet connected thermostat products all suffer from complex installation problems and cost issues,” said Shane Dyer, Arrayent’s president. “Hunter Fan’s years of thermostat product experience, combined with its commitment to its 5 Minute Installation™ system made Hunter Fan a perfect match for Arrayent’s 'just works' Internet product connection technology and low cost connectivity. We are very pleased to be working with such a forward thinking technology company.”

The first three months of internet connectivity are free, as part a 100% risk-free trial. Consumers can opt to pay $9.99 a year for internet connectivity or pay a $49.99 one-time fee for product life-time internet connectivity.

With Hunter Fan’s native app for iPhone*, iPad* and iPod* smart devices and tablets as well as my.hunterfan.com for use with all other devices, consumers can control their Universal Internet Thermostat to fit their needs and busy lifestyles.

Subscribers can also set their devices to receive email alerts when a home’s temperature exceeds a pre-determined set point, indicating an issue that may lead to pipe freezing or mold building, or when it’s time to change the filter or battery level is low.

The Universal Internet Thermostat is compatible with a broad range of heating and cooling systems, and with Hunter Fan’s 5 Minute Installation™ system everything you need is already in the box. There is a built in level on the thermostat, color coded wire terminals and self-anchoring screws making installation quick and easy. Connecting to the internet is as simple as connecting the gateway to your wireless router, plugging it into a power source and when the light turns green the thermostat is connected to the internet.

Similar remotely controlled thermostats suffer from two problems. First, they are very hard to install, requiring a 24 volt “C-Wire” connection and with Wi-Fi provisioning requiring the home owner to know their SSID and password. Second, they are expensive costing more than $150. Hunter Fan Co’s Universal Internet Thermostat addresses both of these problems.

Availability: On-line and in select home improvement and discount retailers across North America, including Lowes, Canadian Tire, and Wal-Mart. Product launches October 11, 2012.

*iPhone, iPad and iPod are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.