Updated November 2026. TVA EnergyRight adjusts Smart Thermostat Rewards terms from season to season, so EPB customers should confirm current amounts on the official enrollment page before signing up.
If you’re an EPB customer with a Wi-Fi smart thermostat, you can get paid to let it make a few small adjustments on the hottest and coldest days of the year. The EPB Smart Thermostat Rewards option comes through TVA EnergyRight, and EPB just finished its first season in the program. Enrolling takes about five minutes and can earn you up to $130 in the first year.
What is Smart Thermostat Rewards for EPB customers?
TVA EnergyRight Smart Thermostat Rewards is a voluntary program offered with participating local power companies. When demand on the grid spikes, such as during a summer heat wave or a winter cold snap, enrolled thermostats make small, temporary adjustments to ease the load. In return, you get rebates.
A quick note on who qualifies. If you live in Chattanooga, you’re an EPB customer. TVA supplies EPB’s power, but you sign up as an EPB customer. The enrollment form asks you to pick your local power company, and EPB is on the list.
How much can you earn?
- Enrollment rebate: a one-time $65 check per household, mailed within 60 days of being accepted into the program.
- Marketplace option: buy a qualifying thermostat from the EnergyRight Marketplace, then enroll, and your enrollment rebate is up to $100. This replaces the $65. It is not added on top of it.
- Annual rebate: $65 a year for year-round participants or $20 a year for summer-only participants, as long as you take part in at least 65% of events. It’s paid each October, after the summer season ends.
For a year-round participant, that adds up to as much as $130 in the first year.
Year-round or summer-only: which track are you on?
Your track depends on how you heat your home.
| Year-round | Summer-only | |
|---|---|---|
| Heating | Electric | Gas, wood, or oil |
| Cooling | Electric | Electric |
| Enrollment rebate | $65 (or up to $100 through the Marketplace) | $65 (or up to $100 through the Marketplace) |
| Annual rebate | $65 | $20 |
For example, a home with an all-electric heat pump is year-round. A home with a gas furnace and central air is summer-only.
What actually happens during an event?
When an event is called, your thermostat is adjusted by up to 4 degrees for up to 4 hours, sometime between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. In summer that means a few degrees warmer. In winter it means a few degrees cooler. Events are capped at 60 hours per season.
Before an event, your thermostat may pre-cool or pre-heat your home so it starts from a more comfortable spot. Depending on your thermostat brand, you’ll see a notice on the thermostat or in its app while an event is running.
Will it make my house uncomfortable?
That depends on your household, but the program has built-in limits that keep the adjustments modest:
- The change is capped at 4 degrees.
- Each event lasts 4 hours or less.
- Events only run between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., so your sleep schedule is left alone.
- Your home may be pre-cooled or pre-heated before an event starts.
- You can override any event from the thermostat, the app, or a web browser.
The one catch is that overrides count against you. You need to take part in at least 65% of events to earn the annual rebate, so overriding often can cost you that payment. Save overrides for the days that really need them, like when someone is home sick.
How to enroll in about 5 minutes
- Check your thermostat model. Eligible brands include Alarm.com, Amazon, ecobee, Honeywell Home, Honeywell TCC, Google Nest, Sensi, and Trane, but only certain models qualify. Check the approved model list before you start. Your thermostat also needs to be connected to Wi-Fi.
- Choose EPB as your power company. On the enrollment page, select EPB from the list of local power companies.
- Pick year-round or summer-only. Choose based on how you heat your home (see the table above).
- Watch for confirmation. You’ll get an email about your enrollment status, and your $65 check should arrive within 60 days of acceptance.
Is EPB Smart Thermostat Rewards worth it?
If you already own a qualifying thermostat, yes. Enrolling takes a few minutes and pays $65 up front, plus up to $65 every year you stay in.
If you’re buying a thermostat, compare its price with what you’ll get back: $65 to $100 at enrollment, plus $65 a year on the year-round track ($20 on summer-only). Over three years on the year-round track, that’s $65 to $100 up front plus $195 in annual rebates, before counting any savings on your power bill.
The cost that surprises people is installation. Many older HVAC systems don’t have the wiring a smart thermostat needs, and a thermostat in a weak Wi-Fi spot can drop offline. That’s where we come in.
Small businesses can enroll too
Smart Thermostat Rewards isn’t just for homes. Small businesses can enroll and earn sign-up and annual rebates. The business must use a qualifying residential thermostat, so check the approved model list before you buy.
Don’t confuse it with EPB’s Home Energy Rebate Program
EPB also runs a separate Home Energy Rebate Program for upgrades like HVAC systems, insulation, and windows. Those rebates require the work to be done by a member of EPB’s Quality Contractor Network.
Smart Thermostat Rewards has no installer requirement. You can install the thermostat yourself or hire anyone you like.
TVA won’t install your thermostat. Riverview IT will.
TVA does not install thermostats. Riverview IT Solutions does, and we handle the parts that trip up DIY installs:
- C-wire upgrades. Many smart thermostats need a common wire (C-wire) for steady power. If your system doesn’t have one, we can add it.
- Adapters for older HVAC systems. Some older systems need an adapter before a smart thermostat will work reliably.
- Wi-Fi coverage at the thermostat. Thermostats often sit in a hallway far from the router. If the signal is weak there, we’ll fix the coverage so your thermostat stays online. Here’s more on why homes end up with Wi-Fi dead zones.
- New construction. Building in Chattanooga? We’ll plan smart thermostats into the rest of your low-voltage plan and install them before move-in.
EPB Smart Thermostat Rewards FAQ
Can I get both the $65 and the $100 enrollment rebate?
No. The up-to-$100 Marketplace rebate replaces the $65 enrollment rebate. It’s one or the other.
When is the annual rebate paid?
Each October, after the summer season ends, as long as you took part in at least 65% of events.
Can I leave the program?
Yes. You can withdraw at any time by emailing the program team at TVAEnergyRightSmartThermostatRewards@energyhub.net. Once you leave, you stop receiving rebates.
Who do I call with rebate questions?
The program’s rebate line is (855) 237-2673. Check the program FAQ for current call center hours.
Get your thermostat ready to enroll
Call Riverview IT at (423) 500-0140, email help@riverviewit.com, or contact us online. We’ll make sure your thermostat is wired, connected, and ready for EPB Smart Thermostat Rewards.