How to Switch Off Your Nest Thermostats Seasonal Savings Program

Smart thermostats are growing in popularity as more and more homeowners seek out ways to reduce their energy bills. These accessories can be programmed to conveniently adjust the temperature inside your home according to your daily schedule. They also have the capacity to memorize comfort preferences over time. As a result, you can save money on your energy bills by ensuring that your comfort system is only running when you need it.

Google’s smart thermostat is the Nest, and lots of homeowners are delighted with its features and overall efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–might be causing trouble as opposed to improving your HVAC system. Persistent issues are driving homeowners to find out how to switch off this feature. We’ll present the problems some people are having with Seasonal Savings and provide instructions for how to opt out of the program.

Many Homeowners Allege the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Well

Google developed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners boost their energy efficiency. For peak HVAC use in the summer and winter, it can automatically adjust the thermostat to satisfy your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is expected 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.

Instead, there are claims that the program is inconsistent and annoying to use. Homeowners are concerned that the program is even increasing their energy bills instead of reducing them. And when they decide to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve noticed the way to do so is difficult to find or just missing. In various cases people have even observed it being turned back on after it was disabled.

Smart thermostats are intended to increase the efficiency of your heating and cooling. While automatic temperature changes are a popular feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t ignore your preferred settings. If a Nest isn’t meeting your comfort preferences, opting out of the Seasonal Savings program is the best move.

But First, Why Is This A Problem?

Homeowners are noticing that the Seasonal Savings program was started on their Nest thermostat without their permission. Why should a smart thermostat you control brush off your settings and opt in for the program? It could be because of an energy-efficiency agreement you signed up for with a utility company.

These agreements help you increase your home’s energy efficiency. They will sometimes offer rebates on new accessories or special promotions for renewable energy systems. But most people are shocked to hear they also permit your utility company remote access to your thermostat. If the power grid is under a heavy load, the utility company can control your thermostat and change the temperature. You may 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 setting is malfunctioning or just disregarding your preferences? Whatever the reason could be, you don’t want a feature to double your energy use without your consent. We’ll explain how other people have disabled 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 may be different depending on your specific Nest model, other users are nervous that Google is deliberately making it more difficult to turn off Seasonal Savings. To ensure you can opt out no matter what, we’ll list the ways other users have found success.

    1. Overriding Seasonal Savings: Manually adjusting the temperature should supersede the Seasonal Savings program, but numerous users have noticed this isn’t what’s happening. If you notice your Nest persistently ignoring your changes, you’ll probably opt to shut off the feature completely.
    1. Disabling the feature from the Nest app: Your phone or tablet’s Nest app ought to have a History option and a Settings option. Google directs users to their History to switch off Seasonal Savings, but other users have discovered this option within Settings. Once disabled, the program is temporarily off until the next summer or winter.
    1. Disabling the program from the Nest thermostat: Your thermostat should also feature a History option where you can opt out of Seasonal Savings, but many homeowners state the disable option is absent.
    1. Opting out before the program starts: The Seasonal Savings program is only obtainable in summer and winter. Your smart device is supposed to be sent a notification when the program is about to launch, allowing you the chance to opt out.

When Seasonal Savings is engaged, your Nest will display a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If your Nest is experiencing issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is missing, your problem could be with a different setting entirely.

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

Different settings on Nest smart thermostats besides Seasonal Savings can cause counterintuitive temperature changes. If these features are active during Seasonal Savings, even disabling the program may not keep the thermostat from making adjustments. Thankfully, these settings can be turned off. You’ll also have options if the problem is a third party like a power company.

    1. Switching off Auto-Schedule: The Nest Thermostat E and Nest Learning Thermostat both extend the Auto-Schedule feature, using their capacity to understand your preferences to establish the perfect schedule. Going into Settings and turning off Auto-Schedule should stop other automatic controls like Seasonal Savings.
    1. Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats might still swap to eco temperatures if you use an auto-switching feature like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These settings automatically adjust the temperature when the thermostat detects that no one is around.
    1. Negating the utility company’s energy agreement: Considering your energy provider may be remotely controlling a Nest thermostat, opting out of the agreement should get rid of unwanted access. You can locate the full details of these agreements from your energy provider.
    1. Reaching out to Google support: If everything else fails, contacting Google’s technical support might be of service. Staff can lead you to resetting the Nest or locating the correct setting to shut off Seasonal Savings.

If the Problem Persists, Your Thermostat Might Be Malfunctioning

There’s always the chance your Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical issues or software glitches can result in all types of issues, including an inconsistent Seasonal Savings program. If you think the problem is isolated to your specific thermostat, a skilled technician might be able to help. After all, smart thermostats remain a beneficial investment for your home’s energy efficiency.

If you need local assistance for your smart thermostat in the U.S., call the comfort specialists at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. They can help you find out the easiest way to shut off a stubborn Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.

Savings For You

See All Offers Here >
parts and labor icon

5% off Active Military & Veteran's Discount

  • Get 5% off the price off any equipment install
  • We value our military community and are proud to offer discounts to eligible military personnel
ductwork and insulation icon

10% OFF Attic Insulation

  • Free Estimates
  • Save Energy and Money
  • Keep Your Home Comfortable

© 2023 Service Experts, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning, and the Service Experts logo and design are registered trademarks of Service Experts LLC and used under license by SE Canada Inc. All Rights Reserved. *Not applicable to the Advantage Program. See your signed Advantage Program Agreement for full details and exclusions. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is subject to certain restrictions and limitations as set forth in the applicable Terms and Conditions.