New York - Best Buy has begun offering in select New York City stores what it describes as the first web- and app-enabled AC thermostat.

The thermostat, and an accompanying smart outlet, both developed by energy-management vendor ThinkEco, will allow consumers to control their ACs remotely via smartphone app or browser, effectively transforming a stand-alone window unit into a smart, networked appliance.

The devices, or modlet, are part of a $70 SmartAC kit created through a partnership with local utility Con Edison called CoolNYC. The kit is exclusive to Best Buy, which will also offer Geek Squad installation support, and features an incentivized program to help consumers manage residential peak usage.

New York City purchasers will receive a $25 rebate upon setting up their SmartAC account, and an additional $25 "thank you" gift at the end of the summer. The $25 thank you is a recurring gift that users will receive each summer that they use the SmartAC thermostat and participate in the cool NYC incentive program.

 "We believe retail-utility partnerships are critical in the education of our consumers to reduce energy consumption, said Kris Bowring, Best Buy's home and energy management senior director. "We are excited to partner with ThinkEco and CoolNYC, and credit them for being a leader in this type of market-based program. The modlet SmartAC fits perfectly with our commitment to educate and assist our customers' concerns about their energy use."

ThinkEco's modlet is a smart outlet that wirelessly combines with the SmartAC thermostat. When used together, users can remotely view their current room temperature, change the target temperature for the room, or turn the AC unit on/off from any smartphone or browser. In addition, users can preset on/off schedules for their room-air units, so that their rooms are cooled only when needed, and the savings associated with those schedules are tracked.

"The modlet SmartAC is the only user installable demand-reduction product with a strong consumer and utility benefit," said ThinkEco chief strategy officer Mei Shibata.  "What this ease-of-use enables is an entirely new way for leading retailers, like Best Buy, to play a pivotal role in the distribution of utility-sponsored solutions by partnering with utilities and technology providers."

In other Best Buy news, Geek Squad has signed four service providers to its new third-party partner program.

Geek Squad announced the initiative in March as a way to extend its reach into the small-business market.

The new additions, Network Solutions Provider, Carrier Access, Access Media 3 and Mach 4, "bring years of industry-leading expertise and customer services to clients throughout the United States," said Best Buy services VP Brian Hutto. "By teaming up with these well-established partners, we're able to continue to expand our footprint in to the SMB [small- to medium-sized business] space and help provide enterprise-level services at price points that SMB's can afford."

As part of the agreement, the partners will provide Geek Squad services for their own customers, including Geek Squad office support, which features unlimited 24/7 access to Geek Squad staffers via phone, online chat, remote and with an option to include on-site support. In addition, they will sell PC, mobile, networking and infrastructure support services.

The service plans cover diagnostics and repair, client and server administration, and network integration, including network, firewall, VPN, and server support as well as data backup and transfers, Best Buy said.