How to Deactivate Your Nest Thermostats Seasonal Savings Program

Smart thermostats are gaining in popularity as more and more homeowners look for ways to lower their energy costs. These systems can be programmed to automatically maintain the temperature in your home according to your weekly schedule. They also have the capability to learn comfort preferences over time. Subsequently, you can save money on your energy bills by seeing to it that your comfort system is only running when you need it. 

Google’s smart thermostat is the Nest, and plenty of homeowners are satisfied with its features and overall efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–could be causing trouble instead of improving your HVAC system. Frequent issues are forcing homeowners to research 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 program. 

Many Homeowners Say the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Correctly 

Google developed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners enhance their energy efficiency. During the highest HVAC use in the summer and winter, it will automatically adjust the thermostat to match your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is expected to run without getting in the way of your sense of comfort, making 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 reports that the program is sporadic and annoying to use. Homeowners are noticing that the program is even increasing their energy bills instead of reducing them. And when they try to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve discovered the way to do so is hard to find or downright absent. In many cases people have even noted it being flipped back on after it was disabled. 

Smart thermostats are intended to strengthen the efficiency of your HVAC system. While automatic temperature corrections are a common feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t overrule your preferred settings. If your Nest refuses to accommodate your comfort preferences, shutting off the Seasonal Savings feature is the best move. 

But First, Why Is This Happening? 

Homeowners are noticing that the Seasonal Savings setting was started on their Nest thermostat without their approval. Why would a smart thermostat you operate ignore your settings and enroll in the program? It could be because of an energy-efficiency program you registered for with a utility company. 

These agreements help you improve your home’s energy efficiency. They can offer rebates on new products or special discounts for renewable energy products. But numerous people are alarmed to find out they also permit your utility company remote access to the thermostat. If the power grid is under a heavy load, the utility company can control your thermostat and turn up the temperature. You could be having issues with the Seasonal Savings program due to the fact that a utility company is taking advantage of this remote access. 

But what if the feature is faulty or just dismissing your preferences? Whatever the reason could be, you don’t want a feature to double your energy use without your consent. We’ll share how other users have switched off the Seasonal Savings program. 

How to Disable Your Nest Thermostat’s Seasonal Savings Feature 

A number of people have disclosed trouble shutting off 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 purposely making it harder to opt out of Seasonal Savings. To make sure you can opt out no matter what, we’ll describe the ways other users have enjoyed success. 

1. Overriding Seasonal Savings: Manually setting the temperature should overrule the Seasonal Savings program, but many users have noticed this isn’t the case. If you see your Nest consistently undoing your changes, you’ll probably opt to disable the feature entirely. 

2. Shutting off the setting from the Nest app: Your phone or tablet’s Nest app should have a History option and a Settings option. Google points users to their History to disable Seasonal Savings, but other homeowners have located this option in Settings. Once disabled, the setting is temporarily off until the following summer or winter. 

3. Shutting off the program from the Nest thermostat: Your thermostat should also display a History option where you can disable Seasonal Savings, but many homeowners report the disable option is missing. 

4. Opting out before the program begins: The Seasonal Savings program is only accessible during summer and winter. Your smart device is supposed to receive a notification when the program is about to begin, giving you the time to opt out. 

When Seasonal Savings is active, your Nest should show a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If the Nest is experiencing issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is not visible, your predicament may be with a different setting entirely. 

Sometimes the Problem Isn’t Seasonal Savings but a Different Setting or Program 

Alternative features on Nest smart thermostats apart from Seasonal Savings can lead to unwanted temperature changes. If these options are active during Seasonal Savings, even shutting off the program may not stop the thermostat from making adjustments. Thankfully, these settings can be turned off. You’ll also have options if the headache is a third party like the power company. 

5. Turning off Auto-Schedule: The Nest Thermostat E and Nest Learning Thermostat both offer the Auto-Schedule feature, using their capacity to study your preferences to define the ideal schedule. Going into Settings and shutting off Auto-Schedule should prevent other automatic adjustments like Seasonal Savings. 

1. Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats will still shift to eco temperatures if you possess an auto-switching setting like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These settings automatically adjust the temperature when the thermostat detects that no one is home. 

6. Opting out of the utility company’s energy agreement: Since your energy provider might be remotely controlling a Nest thermostat, nullifying the agreement should get rid of unwanted access. You can find the full details of these agreements with your energy provider. 

7. Contacting Google support: If everything else fails, contacting Google’s technical support could be of service. Staff can steer you to resetting the Nest or determining the correct setting to shut off Seasonal Savings. 

If the Problem Continues, Your Thermostat May Be Malfunctioning 

There’s always the risk the Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical issues or software bugs can trigger all sorts of problems, including an aggravating Seasonal Savings program. If you suspect the problem is isolated to your own thermostat, a knowledgeable technician may be able to help. After all, smart thermostats continue to be a valuable investment for your home’s energy efficiency. 

If you prefer local assistance for your smart thermostat in the U.S., get in touch with the comfort professionals at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. They can help you find out the easiest way to disable a stubborn Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.