EU, U.S. aim for 1.5 MM smart thermostats in Europe this year

(Reuters) - The European Union will strive to deploy at least 1.5 MM energy-saving 'smart' thermostats this year as it seeks to wean itself off Russian energy, Brussels and Washington announced in a joint statement on Monday.

A smart thermostat is typically a WiFi-connected device that adjusts heating and cooling temperature settings in a home and can help trim energy bills.

U.S. President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, meeting at a G7 summit in Germany, reported back on work by a U.S-EU task force set up in March, when Washington pledged to help Brussels source an extra 15 Bcm of liquefied natural gas (LNG) this year.

In their joint statement, the allies said LNG exports to Europe had risen by 75% since March and U.S. LNG exports to Europe had nearly tripled.

They said the United States was supporting demand reduction and accelerating clean technologies and the task force was aiming to promote the deployment of heat pumps, smart thermostats and ways to reduce energy demand.

They would specifically seek to encourage EU members and European and U.S. companies to reach an initial goal to deploy at least 1.5 MM smart thermostats in European homes by the end of 2022, the statement said.

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop Editing by Mark Potter)

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