Smart thermostats are gaining in popularity as more and more homeowners search for ways to lower their energy bills. These accessories can be programmed to automatically maintain the temperature of your home based on your weekly schedule. They also have the means to study comfort preferences over time. For this reason, you can cut costs 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 numerous homeowners are content with its features and overall efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–may be making trouble instead of improving your HVAC system. Persistent issues are driving homeowners to look for how to shut off this feature. We’ll present the issues some people are having with Seasonal Savings and include instructions for how to opt out of the program.
Many Homeowners Say the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Correctly
Google built the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners enhance their energy efficiency. Around peak HVAC use in the summer and winter, it will automatically adjust the thermostat to balance your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is designed to run without disrupting your sense of comfort, making the biggest changes when you’re away or in bed. Sadly, this isn’t the case for many people enrolled in the program.
Alternatively, there are accounts that the program is sporadic and irritating to use. Homeowners are noticing that the program is actually increasing their energy bills instead of lowering them. And when they decide to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve discovered the way to do so is hard to find or entirely missing. In many cases people have even observed it being flipped back on after it was disabled.
Smart thermostats are meant to strengthen the efficiency of your HVAC system. While automatic temperature corrections are a common feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t override your desired settings. If your Nest isn't meeting your comfort preferences, shutting off the Seasonal Savings option is the best move.
But First, Why Is This Happening?
Homeowners are claiming that the Seasonal Savings program was running on their Nest thermostat without their approval. Why would a smart thermostat you operate neglect your settings and opt in for the program? It may be because of an energy-efficiency program you subscribed to with a utility company.
These agreements help you enhance your home’s energy efficiency. They will sometimes offer rebates on new products or special discounts for renewable energy products. But most people are alarmed to learn they also allow your utility company remote access to your thermostat. If the power grid is under a heavy load, the utility company can override your thermostat and raise the temperature. You might be having trouble with the Seasonal Savings program because a utility company is making use of this remote access.
But what if the feature is faulty or just ignoring your preferences? Whatever the reason could be, you don’t want a feature to double your energy use without your approval. We’ll share how other people have switched off the Seasonal Savings program.
How to Disable Your Nest Thermostat’s Seasonal Savings Feature
A number of people have experienced trouble opting out of 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 purposely making it tougher to opt out of Seasonal Savings. To make sure you can opt out no matter what, we’ll include the ways other users have enjoyed success.
- Overriding Seasonal Savings: Manually setting the temperature should outrank the Seasonal Savings program, but quite a few users have observed this isn’t entirely accurate. If you notice your Nest constantly undoing your changes, you’ll probably prefer to disable the feature completely.
- Shutting off the feature from the Nest app: Your phone or tablet’s Nest app is supposed to have a History option and a Settings option. Google directs users to their History to turn off Seasonal Savings, but other homeowners have found this option within Settings. Once disabled, the program is temporarily off until the next summer or winter.
- Stopping 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 not there.
- Opting out before the program launches: The Seasonal Savings program is only available in summer and winter. Your smart device should receive a notification when the program is about to launch, allowing you the opportunity to opt out.
When Seasonal Savings is engaged, your Nest should show a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If your Nest is having issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is absent, your predicament could be with a different setting entirely.
Sometimes the Source Isn’t Seasonal Savings but a Different Setting or Program
Alternative features on Nest smart thermostats besides Seasonal Savings can cause unwanted temperature changes. If these settings are active during Seasonal Savings, even opting out of the program may not keep the thermostat from making adjustments. Fortunately, these settings can be disabled. You’ll also have options if the headache is a third party like a power company.
- Shutting off Auto-Schedule: The Nest Thermostat E and Nest Learning Thermostat both offer the Auto-Schedule feature, using their capacity to understand your preferences to set the best possible schedule. Going into Settings and switching off Auto-Schedule should disable other automatic changes including Seasonal Savings.
- Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats may still swap 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 assumes that the house is empty.
- Opting out of the utility company’s energy agreement: Considering your energy provider could be remotely controlling the Nest thermostat, opting out of the agreement should get rid of unwanted access. You can locate the full details of these agreements from your energy provider.
- Calling Google support: If nothing else works, contacting Google’s technical support could be of service. Staff can steer you to resetting the Nest or locating the proper setting to disable Seasonal Savings.
If the Problem Remains, Your Thermostat May Be Malfunctioning
There’s always the chance your Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical damage or software bugs can cause all types of issues, including an aggravating Seasonal Savings program. If you suspect the problem is isolated to your own thermostat, a knowledgeable technician may be able to help. After all, smart thermostats remain a worthwhile investment for your home’s energy efficiency.
If you prefer local assistance for your smart thermostat in Dallas, contact the heating and cooling professionals at Levy & Son Service Experts. They can help you find the easiest way to shut off a stubborn Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.