I live in an area where you rarely need air conditioning. Many homes around me do not even have them. However we do need heating from about November to about April, but it rarely does get below freezing. With that said my power bill is about 50/month for gas and electricity. I really didn't need a Nest, but it is certainly a fun tech toy to have. Being able to remotely turn on my heat or AC remotely is pretty nice when you want you're on your way home. So even if I don't make back the $249 that I spent, I still feel that it is worth the money.