Smart thermostats are growing in popularity as more and more homeowners look for ways to scale back their energy expenses. These devices can be programmed to conveniently maintain the temperature inside your home in line with your daily schedule. They also have the means to learn any preferences over time. For this reason, you can make big savings on your energy bills by ensuring that your comfort system is only running when you need it.
Google’s smart thermostat is the Nest, and plenty of homeowners are delighted with its features and general efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–might be stirring up trouble as opposed to helping your HVAC system. Persistent issues are pushing homeowners to figure out how to switch 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 feature.
Many Homeowners Say the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Like It Should
Google developed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners increase their energy efficiency. During maximum HVAC use in the summer and winter, it is supposed to automatically adjust the thermostat to balance your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is supposed to run without interrupting your sense of comfort, implementing the biggest changes when you’re away or in bed. However, this isn’t the case for many people enrolled in the program.
Alternatively, there are claims that the program is sporadic and frustrating to use. Homeowners are complaining that the program is actually increasing their energy bills instead of shrinking them. And when they try to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve noticed the way to do so is tough to find or just missing. In several cases people have even discovered it being switched back on after it was disabled.
Smart thermostats are intended to strengthen the efficiency of your HVAC equipment. While automatic temperature changes are a customary feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t overrule your desired settings. If a Nest isn't meeting your comfort preferences, shutting off the Seasonal Savings option is the best move.
But First, Why Is This A Problem?
Homeowners are noticing that the Seasonal Savings program was activated on their Nest thermostat without their consent. Why can a smart thermostat you command neglect your settings and opt in for 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 will sometimes come with rebates on new equipment or special offers for renewable energy equipment. But many people are shocked to learn they also grant your utility company remote access to your thermostat. If the power grid is under 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 due to the fact that a utility company is taking advantage of this remote access.
But what if the feature is defective 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 share how other users have turned off the Seasonal Savings program.
How to Disable Your Nest Thermostat’s Seasonal Savings Feature
A number of people have reported trouble shutting off the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting might be different depending on your specific Nest model, other users are worried that Google is deliberately making it more difficult to turn off Seasonal Savings. To ensure you can opt out no matter what, we’ll list the ways other users have enjoyed success.
- Overriding Seasonal Savings: Manually setting the temperature should supersede the Seasonal Savings program, but numerous users have observed this isn’t the case. If you observe your Nest constantly ignoring your changes, you’ll probably opt to turn off the feature outright.
- 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 guides users to their History to turn off Seasonal Savings, but other users have discovered 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 turn off Seasonal Savings, but many homeowners claim the disable option is missing.
- Opting out before the program begins: The Seasonal Savings program is only accessible around summer and winter. Your smart device will get a notification when the program is about to launch, 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 experiencing issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is absent, your issue may be with a different setting entirely.
Sometimes the Problem Isn’t Seasonal Savings but a Different Setting or Program
Different settings on Nest smart thermostats besides Seasonal Savings can cause unwanted temperature changes. If these options are active during Seasonal Savings, even shutting off the program may not deter the thermostat from making changes. Luckily, these settings can be turned off. You’ll also have options if the headache is a third party like the power company.
- Shutting off Auto-Schedule: The Nest Thermostat E and Nest Learning Thermostat both offer the Auto-Schedule feature, using their ability to learn your preferences to define the ideal schedule. Going into Settings and switching off Auto-Schedule should disable other automatic adjustments including Seasonal Savings.
- Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats might still shift to eco temperatures if you have an auto-switching feature like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These settings automatically control the temperature when the thermostat thinks that no one is around.
- Opting out of the utility company’s energy agreement: Considering your energy provider could be remotely controlling your Nest thermostat, negating the agreement should take away their access. You can find the full details of these agreements with your energy provider.
- Reaching out to Google support: If everything else fails, reaching out to Google’s technical support may be of service. Staff can steer you to resetting the Nest or finding the appropriate setting to switch off Seasonal Savings.
If the Problem Remains, Your Thermostat May Be Faulty
There’s always the risk your Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical damage or software bugs can trigger all types of issues, including an obnoxious Seasonal Savings program. If you believe the problem is isolated to your specific thermostat, an experienced technician might be able to help. After all, smart thermostats remain a beneficial investment for your home’s energy efficiency.
If you prefer local support for your smart thermostat in Winnipeg, call the comfort specialists at Winnipeg Supply Service Experts. They can help you find the best way to shut off an uncooperative Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.