How to Disable Your Nest Thermostats Seasonal Savings Program

Smart thermostats are growing in popularity as more and more homeowners look for ways to scale back their energy bills. These systems can be programmed to efficiently regulate the temperature in your home based on your daily schedule. They also have the capability to study any preferences over time. Subsequently, you can spend less on your energy bills by making sure that your HVAC system is only on when you need it. 

Google’s smart thermostat is the Nest, and plenty of homeowners are pleased with its features and general efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–could be stirring up trouble rather than improving your HVAC system. Frequent issues are driving homeowners to research how to shut off this feature. We’ll present 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. Around maximum HVAC use in the summer and winter, it is supposed to automatically adjust the thermostat to balance your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is intended to run without getting in the way of your sense of comfort, setting up the biggest changes when you’re away or sleeping. However, 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 complaining that the program is really increasing their energy bills instead of shrinking them. And when they attempt to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve noticed the option to do so is tough to find or outright missing. In many cases people have even noticed it being switched back on after it was disabled. 

Smart thermostats are meant to strengthen the efficiency of your HVAC system. While automatic temperature adjustments are a popular feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t bypass your preferred settings. If a Nest won’t work with your comfort preferences, shutting off the Seasonal Savings feature is the correct move. 

But First, Why Is This Happening? 

Homeowners are concerned that the Seasonal Savings feature was running on their Nest thermostat without their approval. Why should a smart thermostat you control neglect your settings and enroll in the program? It could be because of an energy-efficiency program you subscribed to with the utility company. 

These agreements help you enhance your home’s energy efficiency. They will sometimes feature rebates on new products or special offers for renewable energy systems. But many people are alarmed to find out they also allow 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 adjust the temperature. You may well 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 feature is faulty or just dismissing your preferences? Whatever the reason might be, you don’t want a feature to increase your energy use without your approval. We’ll share how other people have disabled the Seasonal Savings program. 

How to Disable Your Nest Thermostat’s Seasonal Savings Feature 

A number of people have experienced trouble disabling the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting could be different based on your specific Nest model, other users are nervous that Google is deliberately making it tougher to turn off Seasonal Savings. To ensure you can opt out no matter what, we’ll include 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 discovered this isn’t the case. If you notice your Nest persistently ignoring your changes, you’ll probably want to disable the feature completely. 

2. Shutting off the program 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 shut off Seasonal Savings, but other users have discovered this option in Settings. Once disabled, the program is temporarily off until the subsequent 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 available during summer and winter. Your smart device is supposed to 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 your Nest is experiencing issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is not visible, your problem may be with a different setting entirely. 

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

Different options on Nest smart thermostats besides Seasonal Savings can result in counterintuitive temperature changes. If these settings are active during Seasonal Savings, even opting out of the program may not keep the thermostat from making changes. Fortunately, these settings can be switched off. You’ll also have options if the issue is a third party like the power company. 

5. Switching off Auto-Schedule: The Nest Thermostat E and Nest Learning Thermostat both extend the Auto-Schedule feature, using their ability to learn your preferences to establish the perfect schedule. Going into Settings and turning off Auto-Schedule should disable other automatic controls such as Seasonal Savings. 

1. Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats will still switch to eco temperatures if you possess 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 home. 

6. Negating the utility company’s energy agreement: Since your energy provider may be remotely controlling the Nest thermostat, negating the agreement should get rid of unwanted access. You can locate the complete details of these agreements from your energy provider. 

7. Reaching out to Google support: If nothing else works, reaching out to Google’s technical support may be of assistance. Staff can direct you to resetting the Nest or locating the proper setting to switch off Seasonal Savings. 

If the Problem Persists, Your Thermostat Might Be Faulty 

There’s always the risk the Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical problems or software bugs can result in all types of issues, including an aggravating Seasonal Savings program. If you suspect the problem is isolated to your own thermostat, a seasoned technician might be able to help. After all, smart thermostats are still a worthwhile investment for your home’s energy efficiency. 

If you need local service for your smart thermostat in Windsor, get in touch with the comfort specialists at Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts. They can help you find the ideal way to disable an uncooperative Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.