Smart thermostats are increasing in popularity as more and more homeowners look for ways to reduce their energy expenses. These accessories can be programmed to automatically maintain the temperature in your home according to your day-to-day schedule. They also have the capability to study your preferences over time. Subsequently, you can spend less on your energy bills by ensuring that your home is only heated or cooled when you need it.
Google’s smart thermostat is the Nest, and lots of homeowners are satisfied with its features and all-around efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–is making trouble as opposed to supporting your HVAC system. Frequent issues are forcing homeowners to look for how to shut off this feature. We’ll review the concerns some people are having with Seasonal Savings and provide instructions for how to opt out of the feature.
Many Homeowners Argue the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Well
Google developed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners enhance their energy efficiency. Around maximum HVAC use in the summer and winter, it can automatically adjust the thermostat to balance your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is designed to run without interrupting your sense of comfort, setting up the biggest changes when you’re away or asleep. However, this isn’t the case for many people taking part in the program.
In fact, there are reports that the program is contradictory and annoying to use. Homeowners are complaining that the program is actually increasing their energy bills instead of reducing them. And when they attempt to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve noticed the setting to do so is difficult to find or downright missing. In several cases people have even noticed 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 customary feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t bypass your desired settings. If a Nest refuses to accommodate your comfort preferences, shutting off the Seasonal Savings option is the right move.
But First, Why Is This Going On?
Homeowners are noticing that the Seasonal Savings setting was activated on their Nest thermostat without their consent. Why can a smart thermostat you operate neglect your settings and activate the program? It might be because of an energy-efficiency agreement you registered for with a utility company.
These agreements help you boost your home’s energy efficiency. They can offer rebates on new equipment or special discounts for renewable energy products. 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 adjust the temperature. You may be having issues with the Seasonal Savings program because a utility company is using this remote access.
But what if the program is defective or just dismissing your preferences? Whatever the reason is, you don’t want a feature to increase your energy use without your approval. We’ll review how other homeowners have disabled the Seasonal Savings program.
How to Disable Your Nest Thermostat’s Seasonal Savings Feature
A number of people have documented trouble opting out of the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting may be different based on your specific Nest model, other users are alarmed that Google is deliberately making it tougher to opt out of Seasonal Savings. To ensure you can opt out no matter what, we’ll include the ways other users have found success.
- Overriding Seasonal Savings: Manually changing the temperature should outrank the Seasonal Savings program, but quite a few users have found this isn’t entirely accurate. If you observe your Nest constantly reversing your changes, you’ll probably opt to disable the feature completely.
- Disabling 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 points users to their History to switch off Seasonal Savings, but other homeowners have discovered this option within Settings. Once disabled, the feature is temporarily off until the next summer or winter.
- Shutting off 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 claim the disable option is gone.
- Opting out before the program begins: The Seasonal Savings program is only accessible around 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 live, your Nest should feature a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If the Nest is having issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is not visible, your issue may be with a different setting entirely.
Sometimes the Problem Isn’t Seasonal Savings but Another Setting or Program
Different features on Nest smart thermostats apart from Seasonal Savings can lead to counterintuitive temperature changes. If these features are active during Seasonal Savings, even opting out of the program may not stop the thermostat from making alterations. Fortunately, these settings can be turned off. 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 offer the Auto-Schedule feature, using their capability to understand your preferences to establish the perfect schedule. Going into Settings and shutting off Auto-Schedule should prevent other automatic controls such as Seasonal Savings.
- Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats will still switch to eco temperatures if you possess an auto-switching function like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These settings automatically regulate the temperature when the thermostat detects that no one is home.
- Leaving the utility company’s energy agreement: Because your energy provider may be remotely controlling a Nest thermostat, cancelling the agreement should take away unwanted access. You can obtain the full details of these agreements from your energy provider.
- Calling Google support: If nothing else works, reaching out to Google’s technical support could be of assistance. Staff can guide you to resetting the Nest or finding the appropriate setting to shut off Seasonal Savings.
If the Problem Persists, Your Thermostat May Be Defective
There’s always the risk a Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical damage or software bugs can result in all kinds of problems, including an obnoxious Seasonal Savings program. If you believe the problem is isolated to your personal thermostat, a seasoned technician may be able to help. After all, smart thermostats continue to be a beneficial investment for your home’s energy efficiency.
If you want local support for your smart thermostat in Ocala, contact the HVAC professionals at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. They can help you determine the best way to stop a stubborn Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.