Smart thermostats are increasing in popularity as more and more homeowners seek out ways to reduce their energy bills. These devices can be programmed to automatically maintain the temperature at home according to your weekly schedule. They also have the ability to memorize any preferences over time. As a result, you can make big savings 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 lots of homeowners are happy with its features and general efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–could be causing trouble as opposed to assisting your HVAC system. Frequent issues are forcing homeowners to learn how to disable this feature. We’ll review the issues some people are having with Seasonal Savings and offer instructions for how to opt out of the setting.
Many Homeowners Say the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Well
Google developed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners increase their energy efficiency. Around the highest 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 getting in the way of 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.
In fact, there are accounts that the program is contradictory and annoying 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 setting to do so is tough to find or outright absent. In some cases people have even discovered it being switched back on after it was disabled.
Smart thermostats are supposed to improve the efficiency of your HVAC system. While automatic temperature adjustments are a widespread feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t ignore your favored settings. If a Nest won’t work with your comfort preferences, opting out of the Seasonal Savings option is the correct move.
But First, Why Is This A Problem?
Homeowners are noticing that the Seasonal Savings program was running on their Nest thermostat without their permission. Why should a smart thermostat you control neglect your settings and enroll in the program? It might be because of an energy-efficiency agreement you subscribed to with the utility company.
These agreements help you increase your home’s energy efficiency. They can feature rebates on new accessories or special discounts for renewable energy products. But most people are surprised to find out they also allow your utility company remote access to the thermostat. If the power grid is experiencing a heavy load, the utility company can take control of your thermostat and change the temperature. You may be having issues 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 disregarding your preferences? Whatever the reason might be, you don’t want a feature to increase your energy use without your approval. We’ll take you step-by-step through how other homeowners have turned off the Seasonal Savings program.
How to Disable Your Nest Thermostat’s Seasonal Savings Feature
A number of people have reported trouble opting out of the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting may be different depending on your specific Nest model, other users are nervous that Google is deliberately making it more difficult to turn off Seasonal Savings. To ensure you can opt out no matter what, we’ll describe the ways other users have had success.
- Overriding Seasonal Savings: Manually setting the temperature should overrule the Seasonal Savings program, but numerous users have found this isn’t the case. If you see your Nest persistently reversing your changes, you’ll probably prefer to disable the feature outright.
- Opting out of 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 turn off Seasonal Savings, but other homeowners have found this option in Settings. Once disabled, the setting is temporarily off until the following summer or winter.
- Disabling the program from the Nest thermostat: Your thermostat should also possess a History option where you can turn off Seasonal Savings, but some homeowners claim the disable option is not there.
- Opting out before the program launches: The Seasonal Savings program is only accessible in summer and winter. Your smart device is supposed to receive a notification when the program is about to start, offering you the time to opt out.
When Seasonal Savings is on, your Nest is supposed to display a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If your Nest is having issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is not visible, your trouble may be with another setting entirely.
Sometimes the Problem Isn’t Seasonal Savings but Another Setting or Program
Other settings on Nest smart thermostats aside from Seasonal Savings can result in automatic temperature changes. If these options are active during Seasonal Savings, even opting out of the program may not prevent the thermostat from making adjustments. Luckily, these settings can be switched off. You’ll also have options if the issue is a third party like the power company.
- Switching off Auto-Schedule: The Nest Thermostat E and Nest Learning Thermostat both offer the Auto-Schedule feature, using their ability to understand your preferences to establish the ideal schedule. Going into Settings and shutting off Auto-Schedule should disable other automatic adjustments including Seasonal Savings.
- Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats may still swap to eco temperatures if you use an auto-switching function like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These settings automatically adjust the temperature when the thermostat thinks that no one is home.
- Leaving the utility company’s energy agreement: Since your energy provider may be remotely controlling your Nest thermostat, opting out of the agreement should get rid of unwanted access. You can find the full details of these agreements with your energy provider.
- Calling Google support: If all else fails, contacting Google’s technical support could be of assistance. Staff can steer you to resetting the Nest or finding the proper setting to disable Seasonal Savings.
If the Problem Remains, Your Thermostat Could Be Faulty
There’s always the possibility your Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical issues or software glitches can trigger all kinds of issues, including an aggravating Seasonal Savings program. If you think the problem is isolated to your personal thermostat, an experienced technician will be able to help. After all, smart thermostats are still a valuable investment for your home’s energy efficiency.
If you need local support for your smart thermostat in Ravenna, call the heating and cooling professionals at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. They can help you find out the best way to shut off a stubborn Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.