Smart thermostats are growing in popularity as more and more homeowners look for ways to scale back their energy expenses. These accessories can be programmed to efficiently maintain the temperature at home based on your weekly schedule. They also have the capacity to memorize your preferences over time. Subsequently, you can spend less on your energy bills by seeing to it 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–could be causing trouble as opposed to assisting your HVAC system. Lasting issues are driving homeowners to figure out how to switch off this feature. We’ll share the problems some people are having with Seasonal Savings and provide instructions for how to opt out of the feature.
Many Homeowners Claim the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Correctly
Google developed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners improve their energy efficiency. Around peak HVAC use in the summer and winter, it should automatically adjust the thermostat to match your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is expected to run without interrupting your sense of comfort, making the biggest changes when you’re away or sleeping. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for numerous people participating in the program.
In fact, there are reports that the program is inconsistent and difficult to use. Homeowners are noticing that the program is really increasing their energy bills instead of lowering them. And when they try to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve found the option to do so is hard to find or entirely absent. In several cases people have even noticed it being turned back on after it was disabled.
Smart thermostats are expected to boost the efficiency of your HVAC system. While automatic temperature changes are a popular feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t bypass your preferred settings. If a Nest refuses to accommodate your comfort preferences, disabling the Seasonal Savings option is the best move.
But First, Why Is This A Problem?
Homeowners are complaining that the Seasonal Savings program was running on their Nest thermostat without their permission. Why would a smart thermostat you command overlook your settings and activate the program? It could be because of an energy-efficiency program you subscribed to with your utility company.
These agreements help you enhance your home’s energy efficiency. They can include rebates on new equipment or special discounts for renewable energy equipment. But most people are shocked to find out they also grant your utility company remote access to your thermostat. If the power grid is struggling with a heavy load, the utility company can take over your thermostat and turn up the temperature. You may be having trouble with the Seasonal Savings program due to the fact that a utility company is utilizing this remote access.
But what if the program is malfunctioning or just ignoring your preferences? Whatever the reason might be, you don’t want a feature to raise your energy use without your permission. We’ll share how other users have shut off the Seasonal Savings program.
How to Disable Your Nest Thermostat’s Seasonal Savings Feature
A number of people have documented trouble disabling the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting may be different depending on your specific Nest model, other users are alarmed that Google is purposely making it harder 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 setting the temperature should outrank the Seasonal Savings program, but numerous users have found this isn’t what's happening. If you see your Nest consistently undoing your changes, you’ll probably want to shut off the feature completely.
- Opting out of 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 shut off Seasonal Savings, but other homeowners have found this option within Settings. Once disabled, the feature is temporarily off until the following summer or winter.
- Shutting off the program from the Nest thermostat: Your thermostat should also display a History option where you can turn off Seasonal Savings, but some homeowners claim the disable option is missing.
- Opting out before the program begins: The Seasonal Savings program is only obtainable around summer and winter. Your smart device should get a notification when the program is about to launch, giving you the chance to opt out.
When Seasonal Savings is engaged, your Nest will show a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If the Nest is experiencing issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is absent, your predicament might be with yet another setting entirely.
Sometimes the Issue Isn’t Seasonal Savings but Another Setting or Program
Alternative features on Nest smart thermostats apart from Seasonal Savings can result in unwanted temperature changes. If these options are active during Seasonal Savings, even opting out of the program may not keep the thermostat from making adjustments. Thankfully, these settings can be switched off. You’ll also have options if the issue is a third party like a power company.
- Switching off Auto-Schedule: The Nest Thermostat E and Nest Learning Thermostat both offer the Auto-Schedule feature, using their capability to study your preferences to establish the best possible schedule. Going into Settings and shutting off Auto-Schedule should stop other automatic changes including Seasonal Savings.
- Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats will still flip to eco temperatures if you have an auto-switching feature like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These settings automatically change the temperature when the thermostat thinks that no one is around.
- Leaving the utility company’s energy agreement: Because your energy provider might be remotely controlling a Nest thermostat, cancelling the agreement should get rid of remote access. You can locate the full details of these agreements from your energy provider.
- Calling Google support: If all else fails, contacting Google’s technical support might be of service. Staff can direct you to resetting the Nest or locating the appropriate setting to disable Seasonal Savings.
If the Problem Persists, Your Thermostat May Be Malfunctioning
There’s always the chance a Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical problems or software glitches can trigger all sorts of trouble, including an obnoxious Seasonal Savings program. If you suspect the problem is isolated to your personal thermostat, an experienced technician may be able to help. After all, smart thermostats are still a beneficial investment for your home’s energy efficiency.
If you want local service for your smart thermostat in Grand Island, call the HVAC experts at McElroy Service Experts. They can help you find out the easiest way to shut off a stubborn Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.