Smart thermostats are gaining in popularity as more and more homeowners seek out ways to scale back their energy costs. These accessories can be programmed to automatically regulate the temperature inside your home according to your weekly schedule. They also have the capacity to study these preferences over time. For this reason, 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 many homeowners are satisfied with its features and overall efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–might be stirring up trouble instead of improving your HVAC system. Lasting issues are pushing homeowners to learn how to shut off this feature. We’ll share the trouble some people are having with Seasonal Savings and offer instructions for how to opt out of the program.
Many Homeowners Argue the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Like It Should
Google designed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners improve their energy efficiency. For maximum HVAC use in the summer and winter, it can automatically adjust the thermostat to match your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is supposed to run without interrupting your sense of comfort, implementing the biggest changes when you’re away or asleep. Sadly, this isn’t the case for lots of people taking part in the program.
Alternatively, there are claims that the program is inconsistent and annoying to use. Homeowners are noticing that the program is actually increasing their energy bills instead of shrinking them. And when they attempt to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve found the option to do so is difficult to find or entirely missing. In various cases people have even noticed it being turned back on after it was disabled.
Smart thermostats are meant to boost the efficiency of your HVAC equipment. While automatic temperature corrections are a common feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t bypass your preferred settings. If the Nest refuses to accommodate your comfort preferences, opting out of the Seasonal Savings feature is the best move.
But First, Why Is This Going On?
Homeowners are noticing that the Seasonal Savings feature was running on their Nest thermostat without their consent. Why should a smart thermostat you operate ignore your settings and enroll in the program? It could be because of an energy-efficiency agreement you subscribed to with the utility company.
These agreements help you enhance your home’s energy efficiency. They may offer rebates on new accessories or special offers for renewable energy equipment. But most people are alarmed to learn they also grant your utility company remote access to your thermostat. If the power grid is experiencing a heavy load, the utility company can take control of your thermostat and raise the temperature. You may well be having problems with the Seasonal Savings program due to the fact that a utility company is utilizing this remote access.
But what if the setting is malfunctioning or just disregarding your preferences? Whatever the reason might be, you don’t want a feature to double your energy use without your consent. We’ll take you step-by-step through 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 disclosed trouble disabling 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 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 found success.
- Overriding Seasonal Savings: Manually adjusting the temperature should override the Seasonal Savings program, but numerous users have noticed this isn’t entirely accurate. If you observe your Nest repeatedly undoing your changes, you’ll probably want to disable the feature entirely.
- Shutting off the program from the Nest app: Your phone or tablet’s Nest app is supposed to have a History option and a Settings option. Google guides users to their History to shut off Seasonal Savings, but other users have discovered this option in Settings. Once disabled, the feature is temporarily off until the following summer or winter.
- Disabling the program from the Nest thermostat: Your thermostat should also display a History option where you can opt out of Seasonal Savings, but many homeowners state the disable option is not there.
- Opting out before the program starts: The Seasonal Savings program is only accessible in summer and winter. Your smart device will be sent a notification when the program is about to begin, offering you the chance to opt out.
When Seasonal Savings is on, your Nest should feature a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If a Nest is experiencing issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is missing, your issue might be with yet another setting entirely.
Sometimes the Problem Isn’t Seasonal Savings but a Different Setting or Program
Other features on Nest smart thermostats besides Seasonal Savings can lead to automatic temperature changes. If these options are active during Seasonal Savings, even opting out of the program may not deter the thermostat from making adjustments. Thankfully, these settings can be disabled. You’ll also have options if the issue is a third party like a power company.
- Turning off Auto-Schedule: The Nest Thermostat E and Nest Learning Thermostat both give you 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 prevent other automatic changes such as Seasonal Savings.
- Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats can still swap to eco temperatures if you use an auto-switching feature like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These functions automatically change the temperature when the thermostat thinks that no one is around.
- Leaving the utility company’s energy agreement: Because your energy provider may be remotely controlling a Nest thermostat, opting out of the agreement should take away remote access. You can find the full details of these agreements with your energy provider.
- Contacting Google support: If nothing else works, contacting Google’s technical support could be of help. Staff can lead you to resetting the Nest or determining the proper setting to disable Seasonal Savings.
If the Problem Remains, Your Thermostat Might Be Defective
There’s always the chance your Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical issues or software glitches can cause all types of problems, including an obnoxious Seasonal Savings program. If you suspect the problem is isolated to your specific thermostat, a skilled technician may be able to help. After all, smart thermostats remain a beneficial investment for your home’s energy efficiency.
If you need local support for your smart thermostat in Windsor, call the comfort specialists at Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts. They can help you figure out the ideal way to stop a stubborn Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.