Smart thermostats are increasing in popularity as more and more homeowners search for ways to reduce their energy bills. These accessories can be programmed to automatically regulate the temperature in your home according to your regular schedule. They also have the capacity to learn comfort preferences over time. As a result, you can make big savings on your energy bills by making sure that your home is only heated or cooled 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–may be stirring up trouble as opposed to supporting your HVAC system. Consistent issues are forcing homeowners to learn how to shut off this feature. We’ll present the concerns some people are having with Seasonal Savings and provide instructions for how to opt out of the setting.
Many Homeowners Say the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Correctly
Google designed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners improve their energy efficiency. For maximum HVAC use in the summer and winter, it is supposed to automatically adjust the thermostat to satisfy your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is supposed to run without getting in the way of your sense of comfort, making the biggest changes when you’re away or asleep. However, this isn’t the case for many people taking part in the program.
Instead, there are accounts that the program is sporadic and difficult 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 found the option to do so is tough to find or outright missing. In some cases people have even observed it being flipped back on after it was disabled.
Smart thermostats are meant to increase the efficiency of your HVAC equipment. While automatic temperature corrections are a popular feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t bypass your desired settings. If a Nest isn't meeting your comfort preferences, disabling the Seasonal Savings option is the best move.
But First, Why Is This Going On?
Homeowners are complaining that the Seasonal Savings setting was activated on their Nest thermostat without their authorization. Why can a smart thermostat you command dismiss your settings and opt in for the program? It might be because of an energy-efficiency agreement you signed up for with a utility company.
These agreements help you improve your home’s energy efficiency. They will sometimes feature rebates on new accessories or special promotions for renewable energy systems. But lots of people are shocked to find out they also permit your utility company remote access to your thermostat. If the power grid is struggling with a heavy load, the utility company can control your thermostat and change the temperature. You could be having trouble with the Seasonal Savings program because a utility company is taking advantage of this remote access.
But what if the feature is faulty or just disregarding your preferences? Whatever the reason is, you don’t want a feature to increase your energy use without your consent. We’ll walk you 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 reported trouble disabling the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting may be different according to your specific Nest model, other users are alarmed that Google is intentionally 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 enjoyed success.
- Overriding Seasonal Savings: Manually adjusting the temperature should outrank the Seasonal Savings program, but many users have observed this isn’t entirely accurate. If you observe your Nest repeatedly reversing your changes, you’ll probably want to turn off the feature outright.
- 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 guides users to their History to switch off Seasonal Savings, but other people have found this option in Settings. Once disabled, the setting is temporarily off until the subsequent summer or winter.
- Stopping the program from the Nest thermostat: Your thermostat should also possess a History option where you can disable Seasonal Savings, but some homeowners claim the disable option is not there.
- Opting out before the program starts: The Seasonal Savings program is only obtainable around summer and winter. Your smart device should receive a notification when the program is about to begin, giving you the opportunity to opt out.
When Seasonal Savings is on, your Nest should feature a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If the Nest is having issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is missing, your predicament might be with a different setting entirely.
Sometimes the Issue Isn’t Seasonal Savings but Another Setting or Program
Additional features on Nest smart thermostats apart from Seasonal Savings can lead to unwanted temperature changes. If these options are active during Seasonal Savings, even disabling the program may not deter the thermostat from making changes. Thankfully, these settings can be switched 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 study your preferences to set the best possible schedule. Going into Settings and turning off Auto-Schedule should disable other automatic changes including Seasonal Savings.
- Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats might still swap to eco temperatures if you possess an auto-switching feature like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These functions automatically regulate the temperature when the thermostat detects that everyone is out of the house.
- Leaving the utility company’s energy agreement: Since your energy provider could be remotely controlling a Nest thermostat, nullifying the agreement should take away unwanted access. You can locate the full details of these agreements with your energy provider.
- Reaching out to Google support: If everything else fails, contacting Google’s technical support might be of service. Staff can guide you to resetting the Nest or finding the correct setting to turn off Seasonal Savings.
If the Problem Remains, Your Thermostat Could Be Defective
There’s always the chance a Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical problems or software glitches can trigger all types of issues, including an aggravating Seasonal Savings program. If you suspect the problem is isolated to your specific thermostat, a knowledgeable technician might be able to help. After all, smart thermostats remain a worthwhile investment for your home’s energy efficiency.
If you want local service for your smart thermostat in Edmonton, contact the HVAC specialists at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. They can help you figure out the ideal way to disable an uncooperative Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.