Smart thermostats are increasing in popularity as more and more homeowners look for ways to scale back their energy costs. These systems can be programmed to efficiently maintain the temperature at home in line with your day-to-day schedule. They also have the ability to learn any preferences over time. As a result, you can save money 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 many homeowners are delighted with its features and overall efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–could be stirring up trouble instead of assisting your HVAC system. Lasting issues are pushing homeowners to figure out how to switch off this feature. We’ll share the issues some people are having with Seasonal Savings and provide 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 enhance their energy efficiency. During peak HVAC use in the summer and winter, it is supposed to automatically adjust the thermostat to match your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is designed to run without disrupting your sense of comfort, making the biggest changes when you’re away or in bed. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for many people enrolled in the program.
Instead, there are reports that the program is inconsistent and difficult to use. Homeowners are complaining that the program is actually increasing their energy bills instead of reducing them. And when they try to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve discovered the setting to do so is difficult to find or outright absent. In various cases people have even noticed it being switched back on after it was disabled.
Smart thermostats are supposed to increase the efficiency of your heating and cooling. While automatic temperature changes are a widespread feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t override your desired settings. If your Nest refuses to accommodate your comfort preferences, opting out of the Seasonal Savings option is the correct move.
But First, Why Is This A Problem?
Homeowners are concerned that the Seasonal Savings program was started on their Nest thermostat without their approval. Why can a smart thermostat you operate brush off your settings and enroll in the program? It could be because of an energy-efficiency program you signed up for with a utility company.
These agreements help you improve your home’s energy efficiency. They may include rebates on new accessories or special promotions for renewable energy equipment. But most people are alarmed to find out they also grant your utility company remote access to your thermostat. If the power grid is under a heavy load, the utility company can override your thermostat and change the temperature. You could be having issues 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 defective or just ignoring your preferences? Whatever the reason might be, you don’t want a feature to double your energy use without your approval. We’ll explain how other people have turned off the Seasonal Savings program.
How to Disable Your Nest Thermostat’s Seasonal Savings Feature
A number of people have reported trouble disabling the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting might be different based on your specific Nest model, other users are worried that Google is purposely making it more difficult to opt out of Seasonal Savings. To make sure 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 outrank the Seasonal Savings program, but many users have noticed this isn’t the case. If you notice your Nest consistently ignoring your changes, you’ll probably prefer to shut off the feature entirely.
- Opting out of 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 homeowners have found this option in Settings. Once disabled, the setting is temporarily off until the following summer or winter.
- Disabling the program from the Nest thermostat: Your thermostat should also have a History option where you can opt out of Seasonal Savings, but many homeowners claim the disable option is absent.
- Opting out before the program launches: The Seasonal Savings program is only obtainable around summer and winter. Your smart device should get a notification when the program is about to begin, giving you the opportunity to opt out.
When Seasonal Savings is engaged, your Nest will feature a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If your Nest is struggling with issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is absent, your predicament might be with yet another setting entirely.
Sometimes the Source Isn’t Seasonal Savings but a Different Setting or Program
Alternative options on Nest smart thermostats aside from Seasonal Savings can result in counterintuitive temperature changes. If these features are active during Seasonal Savings, even shutting off the program may not deter the thermostat from making changes. Thankfully, these settings can be turned off. You’ll also have options if the headache is a third party like a power company.
- Shutting off Auto-Schedule: The Nest Thermostat E and Nest Learning Thermostat both offer the Auto-Schedule feature, using their ability to understand your preferences to define the perfect schedule. Going into Settings and shutting off Auto-Schedule should prevent other automatic changes including Seasonal Savings.
- Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats may still shift to eco temperatures if you have an auto-switching function like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These functions automatically control the temperature when the thermostat detects that the house is empty.
- Negating the utility company’s energy agreement: Because your energy provider may be remotely controlling the Nest thermostat, nullifying the agreement should take away unwanted access. You can obtain the complete details of these agreements from your energy provider.
- Contacting Google support: If all else fails, contacting Google’s technical support could be of assistance. Staff can point you to resetting the Nest or determining the appropriate setting to turn 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 problems or software bugs can result in all sorts of problems, including an aggravating Seasonal Savings program. If you suspect the problem is isolated to your personal thermostat, a seasoned technician might be able to help. After all, smart thermostats continue to be a worthwhile investment for your home’s energy efficiency.
If you want local assistance for your smart thermostat in Dayton, call the heating and cooling experts at Stevenson Service Experts. They can help you find out the ideal way to switch off an uncooperative Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.