Smart thermostats are gaining in popularity as more and more homeowners look for ways to cut down on their energy expenses. These systems can be programmed to automatically maintain the temperature at home based on your day-to-day schedule. They also have the ability to memorize these preferences over time. As a result, 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 lots of homeowners are happy with its features and all-around efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–may be making trouble rather than helping your HVAC system. Lasting issues are driving homeowners to find out how to switch off this feature. We’ll share the trouble some people are having with Seasonal Savings and provide instructions for how to opt out of the feature.
Many Homeowners Say the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Well
Google designed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners improve their energy efficiency. During peak HVAC use in the summer and winter, it will automatically adjust the thermostat to satisfy your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is expected 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 numerous people enrolled in the program.
In fact, there are claims that the program is inconsistent and frustrating to use. Homeowners are complaining that the program is really increasing their energy bills instead of shrinking them. And when they try to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve noticed the setting to do so is tough to find or entirely absent. In several cases people have even noted it being turned back on after it was disabled.
Smart thermostats are meant to increase the efficiency of your heating and cooling. While automatic temperature adjustments are a common feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t overrule your preferred settings. If the Nest isn't meeting your comfort preferences, opting out of the Seasonal Savings feature is the correct move.
But First, Why Is This Going On?
Homeowners are concerned that the Seasonal Savings feature was running on their Nest thermostat without their approval. Why would a smart thermostat you control brush off your settings and activate the program? It could be because of an energy-efficiency program you registered for with your utility company.
These agreements help you improve your home’s energy efficiency. They will sometimes feature rebates on new products or special promotions for renewable energy systems. But many people are surprised to hear they also grant your utility company remote access to the thermostat. If the power grid is struggling with a heavy load, the utility company can take over your thermostat and raise the temperature. You may be having trouble with the Seasonal Savings program because 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 might be, you don’t want a feature to raise your energy use without your consent. We’ll review 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 experienced trouble opting out of the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting might be different depending on your specific Nest model, other users are worried that Google is purposely making it more difficult to disable Seasonal Savings. To ensure you can opt out no matter what, we’ll describe the ways other users have had success.
- Overriding Seasonal Savings: Manually changing the temperature should overrule the Seasonal Savings program, but numerous users have found this isn’t entirely accurate. If you note your Nest persistently undoing your changes, you’ll probably opt to turn off the feature entirely.
- 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 turn off Seasonal Savings, but other people have discovered this option in 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 feature a History option where you can opt out of Seasonal Savings, but some homeowners state the disable option is missing.
- Opting out before the program begins: The Seasonal Savings program is only accessible in summer and winter. Your smart device should get a notification when the program is about to launch, offering you the chance to opt out.
When Seasonal Savings is running, your Nest should show a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If the Nest is experiencing issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is missing, your predicament might be with yet another setting entirely.
Sometimes the Problem Isn’t Seasonal Savings but a Different Setting or Program
Alternative options on Nest smart thermostats aside from Seasonal Savings can cause automatic temperature changes. If these options are active during Seasonal Savings, even opting out of the program may not prevent the thermostat from making alterations. Fortunately, these settings can be switched off. You’ll also have options if the headache is a third party like the power company.
- Turning off Auto-Schedule: The Nest Thermostat E and Nest Learning Thermostat both extend the Auto-Schedule feature, using their capability to study your preferences to set the perfect schedule. Going into Settings and shutting off Auto-Schedule should prevent other automatic controls like Seasonal Savings.
- Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats may still flip to eco temperatures if you possess an auto-switching setting like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These functions automatically adjust the temperature when the thermostat thinks that no one is around.
- Negating the utility company’s energy agreement: Considering your energy provider could be remotely controlling your Nest thermostat, negating the agreement should take away their access. You can obtain the complete details of these agreements via your energy provider.
- Calling Google support: If all else fails, calling Google’s technical support could be of service. Staff can lead you to resetting the Nest or determining the proper setting to shut off Seasonal Savings.
If the Problem Persists, Your Thermostat May Be Faulty
There’s always the possibility a Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical problems or software bugs can trigger all types of issues, including an aggravating Seasonal Savings program. If you believe the problem is isolated to your personal thermostat, a skilled technician might be able to help. After all, smart thermostats are still a beneficial investment for your home’s energy efficiency.
If you want local assistance for your smart thermostat in Atlanta, get in touch with the HVAC specialists at Peachtree Service Experts. They can help you find the easiest way to disable an uncooperative Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.