Smart thermostats are growing in popularity as more and more homeowners look for ways to reduce their energy expenses. These accessories can be programmed to automatically adjust the temperature in your home according to your day-to-day schedule. They also have the capacity to learn comfort preferences over time. For this reason, you can save money on your energy bills by seeing to it that your HVAC system is only on when you need it.
Google’s smart thermostat is the Nest, and plenty of homeowners are satisfied with its features and general efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–might be stirring up trouble instead of helping your HVAC system. Persistent issues are driving homeowners to find out 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 feature.
Many Homeowners Argue the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Correctly
Google built the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners improve their energy efficiency. For maximum HVAC use in the summer and winter, it will automatically adjust the thermostat to satisfy your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is intended to run without getting in the way of your sense of comfort, making the biggest changes when you’re away or in bed. However, this isn’t the case for numerous people taking part in the program.
In fact, there are reports that the program is contradictory and frustrating to use. Homeowners are noticing that the program is even 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 outright absent. In various cases people have even discovered it being switched back on after it was disabled.
Smart thermostats are supposed to increase the efficiency of your heating and cooling. While automatic temperature corrections are a common feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t overrule your desired settings. If your 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 feature was running on their Nest thermostat without their authorization. Why would a smart thermostat you control neglect your settings and activate the program? It could be because of an energy-efficiency agreement you signed up for with a utility company.
These agreements help you raise your home’s energy efficiency. They can feature rebates on new accessories or special promotions for renewable energy systems. But many people are alarmed 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 turn up the temperature. You could 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 malfunctioning or just ignoring your preferences? Whatever the reason might be, you don’t want a feature to increase your energy use without your approval. We’ll review 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 documented trouble shutting off the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting may be different according to your specific Nest model, other users are nervous that Google is deliberately making it more difficult to turn off Seasonal Savings. To make sure 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 outrank the Seasonal Savings program, but many users have observed this isn’t entirely accurate. If you note your Nest repeatedly reversing your changes, you’ll probably opt to shut off the feature entirely.
- Opting out of the program from the Nest app: Your phone or tablet’s Nest app should 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 program is temporarily off until the subsequent summer or winter.
- Shutting off the program from the Nest thermostat: Your thermostat should also possess a History option where you can opt out of Seasonal Savings, but many homeowners state the disable option is missing.
- Opting out before the program starts: The Seasonal Savings program is only available during summer and winter. Your smart device will get a notification when the program is about to begin, giving you the opportunity to opt out.
When Seasonal Savings is engaged, your Nest is supposed to feature a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If a Nest is having issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is not visible, your issue may be with another setting entirely.
Sometimes the Problem Isn’t Seasonal Savings but a Different Setting or Program
Additional settings on Nest smart thermostats apart from Seasonal Savings can result in unwanted temperature changes. If these settings are active during Seasonal Savings, even disabling the program may not stop the thermostat from making changes. Luckily, these settings can be disabled. You’ll also have options if the issue is a third party like the power company.
- Turning off Auto-Schedule: The Nest Thermostat E and Nest Learning Thermostat both extend 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 adjustments like Seasonal Savings.
- Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats may still flip to eco temperatures if you possess an auto-switching function like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These functions automatically adjust the temperature when the thermostat detects that the house is empty.
- Negating the utility company’s energy agreement: Since your energy provider might be remotely controlling a Nest thermostat, cancelling the agreement should remove remote access. You can obtain the complete details of these agreements via your energy provider.
- Calling Google support: If nothing else works, calling Google’s technical support might be of help. Staff can direct you to resetting the Nest or locating the correct setting to disable Seasonal Savings.
If the Problem Continues, Your Thermostat Might Be Defective
There’s always the chance your Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical damage or software bugs can cause all sorts of issues, including an inconsistent Seasonal Savings program. If you suspect the problem is isolated to your specific thermostat, a seasoned technician may be able to help. After all, smart thermostats remain a worthwhile investment for your home’s energy efficiency.
If you want local assistance for your smart thermostat in Hilton Head Island, contact the HVAC specialists at Epperson Service Experts. They can help you figure out the ideal way to switch off an uncooperative Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.