Today, Greg and I are thrilled to announce that MyEnergy has been acquired by Nest Labs. Bringing our teams together makes sense on so many levels and we’re excited to work with Nest to continue helping people understand and address home energy consumption. For now, though, the only change to our current users’ experience is the logo.

During the past six years, our incredible team at MyEnergy has developed some of the most advanced software on the web to help users better track and save on their utility bills. The folks at Nest have spent the past three years reinventing the device that controls about 50% of your home’s energy – the thermostat – making it engaging and easy to save energy. Given our mutual passions for simplified home energy management, a rewarding user experience, and great design, this merger is a great fit.

On a personal note, we would like to thank every member of the MyEnergy team. You have made this exciting day possible, and it has been an absolute joy and an honor to work with such a bright, dedicated, and entertaining group. We look forward to continuing this journey with you as a part of Nest.

Good things,

Ben & Greg

 We are thankful to report that everyone on the MyEnergy team is safe and accounted for in the wake of yesterday’s tragic events. We are all still coming to terms with the horrible attack and our hearts go out to all of the victims and their families.

Boston is in some ways a small, tight-knit community which makes yesterday’s events feel so painful and so personal. Of course, all of us want to help in any way possible, and staying out of Copley Square just doesn’t feel like enough.

If you are looking for a way to help, please consider donating through the TUGG fund. TUGG (Technology Underwriting Greater Good) is an initiative started in 2009 by members of Boston’s tech community. Last night, the community came together and scrambled to create a fund to quickly and effectively raise money (the goal is $50,000) to help the Boston Marathon victims. The fund was created by Objective Logistics CEO, Philip Beauregard, Atlas Venture’s Jeff Fagnan, David Brown, Chris Lynch, and other Boston technology leaders. You can read more about it from this Boston Globe article.

All of the fund’s organizing fees have been waived so 100% of donations will go directly to services helping yesterday’s victims including Red Cross and Boston Children’s Hospital.

We are proud to be a Boston-based company and the past twenty-four hours have reminded us that we are surrounded by brave and compassionate people. Thanks in advance for your thoughts, prayers, and support.

Image: Werner Kunz via Compfight

It’s almost here! Monday, April 15, 2013 is not only tax day, but also Patriots’ Day. Patriots’ Day is a holiday, celebrated primarily in Maine and Massachusetts, that commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord which were the first battles of the Revolutionary War. But across the country, Patriots’ Day is probably best known as the day of the annual Boston Marathon.

Running is typically one of the most environmentally friendly sports. But with over 27,000 runners expected this year, the Boston Marathon can have a major environmental impact. The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) is doing its best to keep the carbon footprint down including:

• Keeping paperwork to a minimum – this is important since over 8,000 volunteers work the event each year
• Hosting an environmentally friendly pre-race pasta dinner – the compostable plates and utensils allows for a zero waste zone in which all trash is recycled and composted
• Athletes are bused to the starting line to reduce traffic from individual vehicles. Carbon offsets are purchased for all of the buses
• Recycling bins are placed throughout the village and racecourse, and only environmentally friendly portable toilets are used
• Sponsors are encouraged to be green as well – Adidas’s official Boston Marathon T-shirts are more sustainable than ever and Poland Spring has launched a RECYCLE 4 Humanity program to encourage recycling of all its plastic bottles.

We love to have all the visitors to our beautiful city, but the largest environmental impact of the marathon is air travel for the thousands of athletes. Reducing carbon emissions from air travel will need a more long-term solution. But it’s still nice to see that local organizers and athletes are making such an effort to go green. Good luck to all the runners on Monday!

Image: chuddlesworth via Compfight