Smart thermostats are growing in popularity as more and more homeowners search for ways to cut down on their energy expenses. These accessories can be programmed to efficiently adjust the temperature in your home based on your regular schedule. They also have the means to memorize any preferences over time. As a result, you can make big savings on your energy bills by seeing to it that your home is only heated or cooled when you need it.
Google’s smart thermostat is the Nest, and plenty of homeowners are content with its features and all-around efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–might be making trouble rather than supporting your HVAC system. Persistent issues are pushing homeowners to find out how to shut off this feature. We’ll review the trouble some people are having with Seasonal Savings and offer instructions for how to opt out of the feature.
Many Homeowners Say the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Like It Should
Google developed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners boost their energy efficiency. During maximum HVAC use in the summer and winter, it will automatically adjust the thermostat to balance your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is supposed to run without disrupting your sense of comfort, setting up the biggest changes when you’re away or asleep. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for lots of people taking part in the program.
Alternatively, there are claims that the program is inconsistent and irritating to use. Homeowners are concerned that the program is actually increasing their energy bills instead of reducing them. And when they attempt to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve noticed the setting to do so is hard to find or entirely absent. In some cases people have even observed it being switched back on after it was disabled.
Smart thermostats are intended to boost the efficiency of your heating and cooling. While automatic temperature adjustments are a widespread feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t ignore your preferred settings. If the Nest refuses to accommodate your comfort preferences, disabling the Seasonal Savings program is the best move.
But First, Why Is This A Problem?
Homeowners are concerned that the Seasonal Savings setting was started on their Nest thermostat without their approval. Why can a smart thermostat you operate dismiss your settings and opt in for the program? It might be because of an energy-efficiency agreement you signed up for with your utility company.
These agreements help you boost your home’s energy efficiency. They may come with rebates on new products or special discounts for renewable energy products. But most people are alarmed to learn they also grant your utility company remote access to the thermostat. If the power grid is experiencing a heavy load, the utility company can override your thermostat and change the temperature. You could be having trouble with the Seasonal Savings program due to the fact that a utility company is taking advantage of this remote access.
But what if the program is malfunctioning or just dismissing your preferences? Whatever the reason is, you don’t want a feature to double your energy use without your permission. We’ll take you step-by-step through how other homeowners have opted out of the Seasonal Savings program.
How to Disable Your Nest Thermostat’s Seasonal Savings Feature
A number of people have disclosed trouble disabling the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting might be different depending on your specific Nest model, other users are nervous that Google is purposely making it tougher to disable Seasonal Savings. To ensure you can opt out no matter what, we’ll list the ways other users have enjoyed success.
- Overriding Seasonal Savings: Manually setting the temperature should override the Seasonal Savings program, but numerous users have discovered this isn’t the case. If you note your Nest repeatedly reversing your changes, you’ll probably want to turn off the feature outright.
- Opting out of the feature from the Nest app: Your phone or tablet’s Nest app is supposed to have a History option and a Settings option. Google directs users to their History to switch off Seasonal Savings, but other homeowners have found this option within Settings. Once disabled, the feature is temporarily off until the following summer or winter.
- Stopping the program from the Nest thermostat: Your thermostat should also provide a History option where you can opt out of Seasonal Savings, but some homeowners report the disable option is gone.
- Opting out before the program begins: The Seasonal Savings program is only available around summer and winter. Your smart device should be sent a notification when the program is about to begin, giving you the time to opt out.
When Seasonal Savings is active, your Nest will display a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If a Nest is having issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is absent, your trouble might be with a different setting entirely.
Sometimes the Issue Isn’t Seasonal Savings but a Different Setting or Program
Alternative options on Nest smart thermostats aside from Seasonal Savings can lead to unwanted temperature changes. If these features are active during Seasonal Savings, even shutting off the program may not keep the thermostat from making changes. Luckily, these settings can be disabled. You’ll also have options if the issue is a third party like the power company.
- Shutting off Auto-Schedule: The Nest Thermostat E and Nest Learning Thermostat both extend the Auto-Schedule feature, using their capacity to study your preferences to define the best possible schedule. Going into Settings and turning off Auto-Schedule should prevent other automatic adjustments such as Seasonal Savings.
- Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats might still switch to eco temperatures if you use an auto-switching feature like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These functions automatically adjust the temperature when the thermostat detects that no one is around.
- Negating the utility company’s energy agreement: Considering your energy provider could be remotely controlling a Nest thermostat, opting out of the agreement should get rid of remote access. You can obtain the complete details of these agreements from your energy provider.
- Contacting Google support: If everything else fails, reaching out to Google’s technical support may be of service. Staff can lead you to resetting the Nest or determining the appropriate setting to turn off Seasonal Savings.
If the Problem Continues, Your Thermostat Could Be Malfunctioning
There’s always the possibility the Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical problems or software bugs can trigger all kinds of issues, including an aggravating Seasonal Savings program. If you think the problem is isolated to your own thermostat, a skilled technician may be able to help. After all, smart thermostats are still a valuable investment for your home’s energy efficiency.
If you need local assistance for your smart thermostat in Gaithersburg, call the comfort professionals at Parker Pearce Service Experts. They can help you find the best way to stop a stubborn Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.