Smart thermostats are growing in popularity as more and more homeowners search for ways to reduce their energy bills. These devices can be programmed to automatically maintain the temperature at home based on your regular schedule. They also have the capacity to learn your preferences over time. Subsequently, you can cut costs on your energy bills by making sure that your home is only heated or cooled when you need it.
Google’s smart thermostat is the Nest, and plenty of homeowners are satisfied with its features and general efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–could be causing trouble as opposed to helping your HVAC system. Consistent issues are pushing homeowners to figure out how to shut off this feature. We’ll share the concerns some people are having with Seasonal Savings and offer instructions for how to opt out of the setting.
Many Homeowners Allege the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Well
Google developed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners improve their energy efficiency. Around maximum HVAC use in the summer and winter, it will automatically adjust the thermostat to match your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is intended to run without getting in the way of your sense of comfort, implementing the biggest changes when you’re away or sleeping. Sadly, this isn’t the case for many people enrolled in the program.
Alternatively, there are claims that the program is contradictory and frustrating to use. Homeowners are complaining that the program is really increasing their energy bills instead of reducing them. And when they decide to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve found the way to do so is difficult to find or entirely missing. In several cases people have even discovered it being flipped back on after it was disabled.
Smart thermostats are designed to strengthen the efficiency of your HVAC equipment. While automatic temperature changes are a widespread feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t ignore your preferred settings. If your Nest won’t work with your comfort preferences, shutting off the Seasonal Savings feature is the best move.
But First, Why Is This Happening?
Homeowners are concerned that the Seasonal Savings program was activated on their Nest thermostat without their authorization. Why can a smart thermostat you command ignore your settings and opt in for the program? It could be because of an energy-efficiency agreement you registered for with a utility company.
These agreements help you improve your home’s energy efficiency. They may include rebates on new products or special discounts for renewable energy products. But numerous people are alarmed to learn they also permit your utility company remote access to your thermostat. If the power grid is experiencing a heavy load, the utility company can control your thermostat and raise the temperature. You could be having trouble with the Seasonal Savings program due to the fact that a utility company is making use of this remote access.
But what if the setting is faulty or just dismissing your preferences? Whatever the reason is, you don’t want a feature to increase your energy use without your consent. We’ll share how other homeowners have switched off the Seasonal Savings program.
How to Disable Your Nest Thermostat’s Seasonal Savings Feature
A number of people have documented trouble disabling the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting could be different according to your specific Nest model, other users are nervous that Google is intentionally making it tougher to turn off Seasonal Savings. To make sure you can opt out no matter what, we’ll describe the ways other users have found success.
- Overriding Seasonal Savings: Manually setting the temperature should outrank the Seasonal Savings program, but many users have found this isn’t entirely accurate. If you see your Nest constantly reversing your changes, you’ll probably prefer to disable the feature completely.
- Disabling the setting from the Nest app: Your phone or tablet’s Nest app is supposed to have a History option and a Settings option. Google points users to their History to shut off Seasonal Savings, but other users have located this option within Settings. Once disabled, the program is temporarily off until the following summer or winter.
- Shutting off the program from the Nest thermostat: Your thermostat should also have a History option where you can disable Seasonal Savings, but many homeowners report the disable option is absent.
- Opting out before the program begins: The Seasonal Savings program is only accessible around summer and winter. Your smart device is supposed to get a notification when the program is about to start, allowing you the opportunity to opt out.
When Seasonal Savings is engaged, your Nest is supposed to feature a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If your Nest is struggling with issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is not visible, your predicament might be with a different setting entirely.
Sometimes the Problem Isn’t Seasonal Savings but a Different Setting or Program
Additional features on Nest smart thermostats aside from Seasonal Savings can cause counterintuitive temperature changes. If these settings are active during Seasonal Savings, even disabling the program may not keep the thermostat from making alterations. Luckily, these settings can be switched off. You’ll also have options if the issue is a third party like your power company.
- Switching off Auto-Schedule: The Nest Thermostat E and Nest Learning Thermostat both offer the Auto-Schedule feature, using their ability to learn your preferences to define the ideal schedule. Going into Settings and turning off Auto-Schedule should disable other automatic controls such as Seasonal Savings.
- Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats may still shift to eco temperatures if you have an auto-switching setting like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These settings automatically control the temperature when the thermostat detects that no one is around.
- Negating the utility company’s energy agreement: Considering your energy provider might be remotely controlling the Nest thermostat, cancelling the agreement should remove unwanted access. You can find the complete details of these agreements via your energy provider.
- Contacting Google support: If all else fails, calling Google’s technical support may be of service. Staff can guide you to resetting the Nest or determining the correct setting to switch off Seasonal Savings.
If the Problem Remains, Your Thermostat Might Be Malfunctioning
There’s always the possibility your Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical issues or software glitches can cause all kinds of issues, including an aggravating Seasonal Savings program. If you suspect the problem is isolated to your specific thermostat, a seasoned technician may be able to help. After all, smart thermostats remain a beneficial investment for your home’s energy efficiency.
If you need local service for your smart thermostat in Memphis, contact the comfort professionals at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. They can help you figure out the easiest way to stop a stubborn Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.