Smart thermostats are growing in popularity as more and more homeowners search for ways to cut down on their energy bills. These accessories can be programmed to efficiently adjust the temperature inside your home based on your daily schedule. They also have the capacity to learn any preferences over time. As a result, you can spend less on your energy bills by making sure that your comfort system is only running when you need it.
Google’s smart thermostat is the Nest, and plenty of homeowners are satisfied with its features and overall efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–could be making trouble instead of assisting your HVAC system. Lasting issues are forcing homeowners to research how to switch 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 feature.
Many Homeowners Claim the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Well
Google developed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners enhance their energy efficiency. During maximum HVAC use in the summer and winter, it will automatically adjust the thermostat to match your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is expected to run without interrupting your sense of comfort, setting up the biggest changes when you’re away or in bed. However, this isn’t the case for numerous people participating in the program.
Alternatively, there are reports that the program is contradictory and irritating to use. Homeowners are complaining that the program is really increasing their energy bills instead of reducing them. And when they try to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve discovered the option to do so is hard to find or just missing. In some cases people have even noticed it being flipped back on after it was disabled.
Smart thermostats are intended to increase the efficiency of your HVAC system. While automatic temperature corrections are a popular feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t bypass your preferred settings. If the Nest refuses to accommodate your comfort preferences, shutting off the Seasonal Savings program is the correct move.
But First, Why Is This A Problem?
Homeowners are concerned that the Seasonal Savings setting was activated on their Nest thermostat without their approval. Why can a smart thermostat you operate ignore your settings and opt in for the program? It could be because of an energy-efficiency agreement you signed up for with the utility company.
These agreements help you raise your home’s energy efficiency. They will sometimes offer rebates on new equipment or special discounts for renewable energy products. But many people are alarmed to hear 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 turn up the temperature. You could be having trouble with the Seasonal Savings program because a utility company is making use of this remote access.
But what if the setting is malfunctioning or just ignoring your preferences? Whatever the reason is, you don’t want a feature to increase your energy use without your approval. We’ll take you step-by-step through how other people have shut off the Seasonal Savings program.
How to Disable Your Nest Thermostat’s Seasonal Savings Feature
A number of people have documented trouble shutting off the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting may be different depending on your specific Nest model, other users are concerned that Google is purposely making it harder to turn off Seasonal Savings. To ensure you can opt out no matter what, we’ll include the ways other users have had success.
- Overriding Seasonal Savings: Manually changing the temperature should overrule the Seasonal Savings program, but quite a few users have discovered this isn’t what's happening. If you see your Nest persistently reversing your changes, you’ll probably prefer to shut 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 directs users to their History to turn off Seasonal Savings, but other users have discovered this option in Settings. Once disabled, the feature is temporarily off until the subsequent 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 state the disable option is gone.
- Opting out before the program launches: The Seasonal Savings program is only available around summer and winter. Your smart device will get a notification when the program is about to launch, offering you the time to opt out.
When Seasonal Savings is on, your Nest is supposed to show a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If a Nest is experiencing issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is missing, your trouble might be with yet another setting entirely.
Sometimes the Problem Isn’t Seasonal Savings but Another Setting or Program
Different settings on Nest smart thermostats apart from Seasonal Savings can result in counterintuitive temperature changes. If these options are active during Seasonal Savings, even opting out of the program may not deter the thermostat from making alterations. Luckily, these settings can be turned off. You’ll also have options if the headache is a third party like a power company.
- Switching 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 set the ideal schedule. Going into Settings and switching off Auto-Schedule should disable other automatic controls like Seasonal Savings.
- Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats might still shift to eco temperatures if you use an auto-switching feature like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These functions automatically regulate the temperature when the thermostat thinks that the house is empty.
- Opting out of the utility company’s energy agreement: Because your energy provider might be remotely controlling your Nest thermostat, nullifying the agreement should take away unwanted access. You can locate the full details of these agreements with your energy provider.
- Calling Google support: If all else fails, reaching out to Google’s technical support might be of assistance. Staff can point you to resetting the Nest or determining the proper setting to turn off Seasonal Savings.
If the Problem Remains, Your Thermostat Could Be Malfunctioning
There’s always the possibility a Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical damage or software glitches can result in all types of trouble, including an obnoxious Seasonal Savings program. If you suspect the problem is isolated to your personal thermostat, a skilled technician will be able to help. After all, smart thermostats are still a worthwhile investment for your home’s energy efficiency.
If you prefer local service for your smart thermostat in Charleston, contact the HVAC specialists at Pardee Service Experts. They can help you find out the ideal way to shut off a stubborn Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.