specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
provider: ecobee
providerId: ecobee
created: '2026-07-03'
modified: '2026-07-03'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Smart Home
- Thermostat
- IoT
- Energy
- FinOps
- Cost Management
- FOCUS
description: >-
  FinOps view of ecobee API spend. The ecobee developer API has historically
  been free to use - there is no published per-call fee - so for consumer
  (Smart-account) integrations the direct API cost is effectively zero and the
  real cost drivers are engineering, maintenance, and the operational risk that
  the developer program is closed to new registrations. For EMS and Utility
  programs (demand response, hierarchy, meter reports), cost is governed by a
  commercial agreement with ecobee rather than usage-metered API billing.
notes: >-
  ecobee does not invoice per API call, so there is no usage-based line item to
  reconcile for the standard developer program. Model cost as build-and-maintain
  effort plus, for EMS/Utility, the negotiated commercial contract. Account for
  program-availability risk: new consumer API keys are no longer being issued.
sources:
- https://www.ecobee.com/en-us/developers/
- https://www.ecobee.com/home/developer/api/introduction/index.shtml
- https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
publisherName: ecobee
serviceCategory: IoT and Smart Home
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Free
  billingFrequency: None
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
  - Usage
  - Purchase
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: ecobee API
  ServiceCategory: IoT and Smart Home
  ProviderName: ecobee
  PublisherName: ecobee
  InvoiceIssuerName: ecobee
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Usage
  PricingCategory: Free
meters:
- name: api_requests
  description: Calls to the ecobee API. Not billed - included in the free developer program.
  unit: requests
  aggregation: sum
  dimensions:
  - application
  - account
- name: authorized_thermostats
  description: Number of end-user thermostats an application is authorized to access; a proxy for integration scale, not a billed meter.
  unit: devices
  aggregation: max
  dimensions:
  - application
- name: ems_commercial_contract
  description: Negotiated EMS/Utility commercial agreement for hierarchy, demand response, and meter reports.
  unit: contract
  aggregation: max
  dimensions:
  - account
principles:
- name: Visibility
  description: Track how many thermostats each application is authorized to access and the polling volume, even though calls are not billed, to manage rate-limit and support risk.
- name: Allocation
  description: Attribute integration engineering and maintenance effort to the product or team that owns the ecobee connection.
- name: Optimization
  description: Poll efficiently via thermostatSummary revisions to stay within rate guidance and reduce compute; batch report requests within the 25-thermostat / 31-day limits.
- name: Accountability
  description: Own the program-availability risk - new consumer API keys are closed - and, for EMS/Utility, review the commercial contract terms with ecobee.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com