Every winter, millions of homeowners face the same frustration — soaring heating bills. While insulation and furnace maintenance help, the real game-changer lies in smart control and energy transparency.
That’s where EcoNet-BH and WattPanel-2X work together. One gives you precise temperature automation, and the other offers real-time visibility of every watt you consume. Together, they form a powerful duo for winter energy efficiency.
Meet EcoNet-BH: Smart Heating Control for Baseboard Systems
The Smart Baseboard Thermostat: EcoNet-BH is purpose-built for electric baseboard heating (120V/240V).
It combines elegant design, WiFi connectivity, and AI-driven automation to make your home warm and efficient.
Key Highlights:
- 📱 App Control: Adjust room temperature anytime from your smartphone.
- 🔁 Adaptive Scheduling: Learns your routines to heat only when needed.
- ⚡ Energy Optimization: Can reduce heating costs by up to 20%.
- 🧠 Smart Pairing: Works seamlessly with WattPanel-2X to track heating power consumption in real time.
Meet WattPanel-2X: The Energy Transparency Engine
The WattPanel-2X Split-Phase Energy Monitor turns your home’s electrical system into a live dashboard.
By tracking each circuit’s energy usage, it reveals how much your heating system consumes and where energy waste occurs.
Main Advantages:
- 🧲 Monitors two main lines (L1 & L2) simultaneously for split-phase homes.
- 📊 Real-time data through the Grus.io App Dashboard.
- 🔔 Custom alerts for high consumption or unusual load spikes.
- 🔌 Works with multiple devices — thermostat, water heater, or heat pump.
How They Work Together
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When combined, EcoNet-BH controls heating intelligently, while WattPanel-2X monitors exactly how much energy is used — giving you total control and transparency.
How Smart Heating and Energy Monitoring Save Real Money
The EcoNet-BH and WattPanel-2X work together as a closed-loop energy optimization system.
Let’s break down the science of how this combination saves power — and how much you can actually save.
1. The Science Behind Smart Heating Efficiency
Traditional baseboard thermostats use simple on/off cycling:
- When temperature drops below a threshold, the heater turns on.
- When it rises, the heater shuts off. This method wastes energy due to temperature overshooting and uneven room heating.
By contrast, EcoNet-BH’s adaptive algorithm learns your usage patterns and ambient heat loss rate. It uses pulse-width modulation (PWM) to deliver micro-bursts of current that maintain steady comfort without over-heating.
At the same time, WattPanel-2X tracks power at the circuit level, detecting inefficiencies such as:
- Heaters running longer than expected.
- Voltage imbalance between split-phase lines (L1/L2).
- Unusual consumption during off-peak hours.
Together, they provide both control (EcoNet-BH) and visibility (WattPanel-2X) — the two key ingredients of true home energy intelligence.
2. Real-World Energy Savings
Field data collected from Grus.io’s 2024 pilot homes in the northern U.S. and Canada show the following results:
| Home Type | Control Type | Avg. Monthly Usage (kWh) | Avg. Bill (USD) | Energy Saved | Cost Saved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apartment (1,200 sq ft) | Manual Thermostat | 820 kWh | $130 | — | — |
| Apartment (1,200 sq ft) | EcoNet-BH + WattPanel-2X | 670 kWh | $105 | 18% | $25 / month |
| Single-Family Home (2,000 sq ft) | Manual Thermostat | 1,250 kWh | $198 | — | — |
| Single-Family Home (2,000 sq ft) | EcoNet-BH + WattPanel-2X | 1,000 kWh | $158 | 20% | $40 / month |
| Vacation Cabin (1,000 sq ft) | Manual Thermostat | 900 kWh | $142 | — | — |
| Vacation Cabin (1,000 sq ft) | EcoNet-BH + WattPanel-2X | 730 kWh | $117 | 19% | $25 / month |
Average saving: 17–21%, depending on climate and occupancy schedule.
3. Real-Time Monitoring with WattPanel-2X
The WattPanel-2X enables granular insights beyond just total consumption:
- Per-Circuit Analysis: Measure heater vs. appliance loads.
- Historical Comparison: Identify trends over days, weeks, or seasons.
- Peak-Hour Alerts: Get notified when energy spikes during expensive utility hours.
- Usage Forecasts: AI-based predictions of monthly energy bills.
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This continuous loop of measure → analyze → optimize → save ensures that your heating system always runs at peak efficiency — no manual intervention needed.
4. Energy Cost Trend Visualization
Here’s how energy usage typically changes before and after adopting the smart system:
--- title: "Winter Energy Usage Comparison (EcoNet-BH + WattPanel-2X)" --- xychart-beta title "Monthly kWh Consumption (Winter 2025)" x-axis ["Nov","Dec","Jan","Feb"] y-axis "Energy (kWh)" 600 --> 1000 line "Before Smart System" [940,960,950,910] line "After EcoNet-BH + WattPanel-2X" [780,760,740,720]
Result: Average monthly consumption drops by ~200 kWh, translating to significant savings over an entire heating season.
Real-Life Use Case: Smart Heating in Action
Case Study: A Family in Vermont
The Henderson family lived in a 1,800 sq. ft. home heated entirely by electric baseboards.
Before upgrading, they used old dial thermostats and had no idea how much each room consumed.
After installing EcoNet-BH thermostats in three zones and a WattPanel-2X in their breaker panel, they observed:
- 🔹 Monthly savings: ~19% on energy bills after two months.
- 🔹 Improved comfort: Consistent temperature across rooms, fewer cold spots.
- 🔹 Better awareness: They could see exact consumption from the Grus.io App.
- 🔹 ROI: The system paid for itself in under one winter season.
“We never realized how much energy we wasted until we saw the live data,” said Mr. Henderson. “Now we heat smarter — not harder.”
Installation Relationship Between EcoNet-BH and WattPanel-2X
Smart energy management only works when both devices are properly connected within your home’s electrical network.
Installation Notes
- WattPanel-2X connects inside the main electrical panel, using two CT clamps to measure current on each 120 V line (L1 & L2).
- EcoNet-BH replaces traditional line-voltage thermostats directly connected to baseboard heaters.
- Both devices communicate via WiFi to the Grus.io Cloud, synchronizing real-time temperature and energy data.
- No local gateway is required — everything runs through the secure app connection.
Step-by-Step Installation Overview
🧰 For EcoNet-BH (Wall Thermostat)
- Turn off power from the breaker panel.
- Remove old thermostat and identify line (L) and load (H) wires.
- Connect wires according to voltage (120 V or 240 V) following the wiring diagram.
- Mount the new thermostat, power on, and pair via Grus.io App.
⚡ For WattPanel-2X (Energy Monitor)
- Turn off main breaker before opening the electrical panel.
- Clamp CT1 and CT2 around L1 and L2 lines feeding the house.
- Connect the voltage reference leads to the same terminals.
- Power on and connect to WiFi — live data will sync instantly with EcoNet-BH dashboards.
📘 Safety Tip: Always follow local electrical codes or hire a licensed electrician for line-voltage installations.
Integration in the Grus.io Ecosystem
Once installed, both devices communicate through the Grus.io Cloud Platform to provide unified analytics:
--- title: "Grus.io Smart Heating Ecosystem Integration" --- graph TD %% ===== 样式定义 ===== classDef user fill:#E1F5FE,stroke:#0288D1,stroke-width:2,rx:10,ry:10,color:#01579B,font-weight:bold; classDef device fill:#E8F5E9,stroke:#0A7E07,stroke-width:2,rx:10,ry:10,color:#064C00,font-weight:bold; classDef power fill:#FFF8E1,stroke:#F57F17,stroke-width:2,rx:10,ry:10,color:#4E342E,font-weight:bold; classDef monitor fill:#DCE8FF,stroke:#1A5FFF,stroke-width:2,rx:10,ry:10,color:#0B2161,font-weight:bold; classDef cloud fill:#F3E5F5,stroke:#6A1B9A,stroke-width:2,rx:10,ry:10,color:#311B92,font-weight:bold; %% ===== 节点定义 ===== U["📱 User App / Dashboard"]:::user T["🌡️ EcoNet-BH<br/>Smart Thermostat"]:::device H["🔥 Baseboard Heater"]:::power P["🔎 WattPanel-2X<br/>Energy Monitor"]:::monitor C["☁️ Grus.io Cloud<br/>Optimization & Reports"]:::cloud %% ===== 数据流关系 ===== U -->|"Control Commands"| T T --> H H --> P P --> C C -->|"Usage Reports & AI Optimization Feedback"| U %% ===== 连线样式 ===== linkStyle default stroke:#555,stroke-width:1.8;
This integrated approach allows the system to:
- Adjust temperature automatically based on energy patterns.
- Provide real-time consumption feedback.
- Send alerts when heating inefficiency is detected.
Final Thoughts: Smarter Heat, Lower Bills
The combination of EcoNet-BH + WattPanel-2X gives you something traditional thermostats never could — data-driven comfort.
✅ EcoNet-BH ensures precise, adaptive heating control.
✅ WattPanel-2X offers visibility into every watt consumed.
✅ Together, they create a feedback-based loop that cuts waste, saves money, and enhances comfort.
💡 Result:
Homes using both devices experience up to 20% energy savings, improved comfort, and full transparency — all controlled from one app.
Smart heating isn’t just about staying warm. It’s about staying efficient, connected, and in control.
