Hi @stn,
If you want to avoid using some complex or external apps (which introduce unnecessary delays) to do a simple thing such as setting your thermostat away or present, then you need My Ecobee device which has been around for more than 2 years and it’s reliable…There are a lot of smartapps that you can use with my Ecobee device; in fact, there is no other ecobee implementation that gives you so much features.
As your requirements grow, you will be then able to use more smartapps at my github for more complex scenarios. So, myEcobee device can really grow with you…
For example, the ecobee3’s smart away and follow me features are proprietary. With MyEcobee device, you can use any ST connected temp and motion sensors to do similar features and with faster response times (setting your thermostat to away in 5 minutes instead of a minimum of 30 minutes with ecobee’s smart away).
See this thread for more details:
P.S. When you buy an ecobee3 thermostat for more than $200, a mere $20 to get all ecobee’s API rich features is not much. MyEcobee device can really turn your ecobee thermostat to a smart thermostat when exposed to ST and unlock ALL features.
Another example: if you plan to add Keen Home smart vents later, My Ecobee device is even more useful as my Zoned Heating/Cooling solutions orchestrate ecobee3’s with the vents for optimal comfort and energy efficiency.