Emerson Launches First Connected-Home HVAC Service

ST. LOUIS --(Business Wire)--

Emerson (News - Alert) Climate Technologies, a business of Emerson (NYSE: EMR), today announced the launch of ComfortGuard™ Monitoring Service. ComfortGuard technology is the only comprehensive monitoring service that allows homeowners to manage their heating and cooling equipment by providing real-time information and professional insight that predicts problems, prevents energy waste, and protects indoor comfort around-the-clock.

For American homeowners, one of the most costly appliances to repair, replace, power, and maintain is their home's heating and cooling system. Yet most homeowners are simply unaware of just how inefficient their system is and have no warning before it stops working. In fact, a recent U.S. Department of Energy report suggests that more than half of homeowners' heating and cooling equipment is in need of repair.

Emerson hopes to change this with its first connected-home monitoring service by:

Arming homeowners with the insight and guidance needed to take charge of their heating and cooling equipment.
Monitoring equipment performance and providing early warning of problems so small issues can be corrected before they turn into costly repairs.
Working with Emerson experts that provide insight and recommendations so homeowners can confidently make maintenance and repair decisions.

How it Works

Following installation by an authorized service professional, ComfortGuard's 10 state-of-the-art sensors collect and transmit data over a Wi-Fi connection every time the heating and cooling system runs. With every run, a 32-point inspection is conducted, including a scan for efficiency changes, filter degradation, and component problems. Any indication of a problem generates a notice to the ComfortGuard monitoring team who analyzes the data before sending a system alert to the homeowner and their service professional.

Homeowners are fully informed and in control with emailed alerts, efficiency and filter status, monthly System Insight Reports, and repair verifications. They also have access to a fully responsive web and mobile portal, making system status, live data, equipent details, and filter size just a click away. In addition, the homeowner's contractor is alerted and will contact the homeowner to schedule a service call.

Protecting Homeowners' Third Largest Investment

"For most homeowners, one of the largest investments they'll make is in their heating and cooling system," said Ed Purvis, executive vice president at Emerson. "With the expansion of Wi-Fi and connected home products, we see a sizeable market opportunity to help homeowners and service professionals protect that investment by pairing big data with important HVAC analytics."

Emerson is offering ComfortGuard Monitoring Service only through authorized service professionals. The service launched in St. Louis this spring. The company is working with contractors in Houston to roll-out service this summer, and additional markets will be announced later this year.

Monitoring packages start at $9.99 per month. A one-time fee will be charged for installation and the price varies by service professional.

Emerson's HVAC Expertise

Emerson has been a leading provider of heating and cooling solutions for residential and commercial applications for more than 75 years. While ComfortGuard monitoring service marks Emerson's first monitoring service for the connected home market, the company has provided remote monitoring of refrigeration, heating, and lighting systems used by the supermarket and convenience store industry for more than 10 years. The company also recently introduced the Sensi Wi-Fi thermostat that allows homeowners to remotely control the temperature of their home.

For more information, visit www.mycomfortguard.com.

About Emerson

Emerson (NYSE: EMR), based in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial, and consumer markets around the world. The company is comprised of five business segments: Process Management, Industrial Automation, Network Power, Climate Technologies, and Commercial & Residential Solutions. Sales in fiscal 2013 were $24.7 billion. For more information, visit www.Emerson.com.

About Emerson Climate Technologies

Emerson Climate Technologies, a business segment of Emerson, is the world's leading provider of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration solutions for residential, industrial and commercial applications. The group combines best-in-class technology with proven engineering, design, distribution, educational and monitoring services to provide customized, integrated climate-control solutions for customers worldwide. The innovative solutions of Emerson Climate Technologies, which include industry-leading brands such as Copeland Scroll™ and White-Rodgers™, improve human comfort, safeguard food and protect the environment. For more information, visit EmersonClimate.com.

About White-Rodgers

White-Rodgers, headquartered in Saint Louis, Missouri, is a leading provider of home comfort solutions, including thermostats, gas ignition controls and indoor air quality products. White-Rodgers innovative solutions include Emerson Blue thermostats, which are among the most accurate and reliable in the industry. The group is also a leader in communicating electronics for HVAC systems. White-Rodgers is a business unit of the Emerson Climate Technologies business segment. For more information, visit www.White-Rodgers.com.