Smart thermostats are growing in popularity as more and more homeowners look for ways to scale back their energy costs. These accessories can be programmed to efficiently adjust the temperature at home in line with your regular schedule. They also have the ability to learn these preferences over time. For this reason, 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 pleased with its features and overall efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–is causing trouble instead of supporting your HVAC system. Lasting issues are driving homeowners to find out how to disable this feature. We’ll review the problems some people are having with Seasonal Savings and include instructions for how to opt out of the feature.
Many Homeowners Say the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Well
Google designed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners boost their energy efficiency. For peak HVAC use in the summer and winter, it should automatically adjust the thermostat to match your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is intended to run without interrupting your sense of comfort, making the biggest changes when you’re away or asleep. However, this isn’t the case for numerous people taking part in the program.
In fact, there are accounts that the program is inconsistent and frustrating to use. Homeowners are complaining 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 way to do so is tough to find or outright missing. In some cases people have even noted it being flipped back on after it was disabled.
Smart thermostats are expected to enhance the efficiency of your HVAC system. While automatic temperature adjustments are a common feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t overrule your desired settings. If your Nest refuses to accommodate your comfort preferences, opting out of the Seasonal Savings program is the right move.
But First, Why Is This Happening?
Homeowners are concerned that the Seasonal Savings setting was running on their Nest thermostat without their authorization. Why should a smart thermostat you operate neglect your settings and enroll in the program? It could be because of an energy-efficiency program you signed up for with the utility company.
These agreements help you raise your home’s energy efficiency. They will sometimes include rebates on new accessories or special offers for renewable energy systems. But many people are surprised to learn they also permit 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 turn up the temperature. You may be having issues with the Seasonal Savings program because a utility company is making use of this remote access.
But what if the feature is defective or just disregarding your preferences? Whatever the reason might be, you don’t want a feature to double your energy use without your approval. We’ll share 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 shutting off the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting may be different according to your specific Nest model, other users are worried that Google is intentionally making it tougher to turn off Seasonal Savings. To make sure you can opt out no matter what, we’ll list the ways other users have had success.
- Overriding Seasonal Savings: Manually changing the temperature should supersede the Seasonal Savings program, but many users have discovered this isn’t entirely accurate. If you notice your Nest consistently undoing your changes, you’ll probably want to turn off the feature completely.
- Shutting off the feature from the Nest app: Your phone or tablet’s Nest app ought to have a History option and a Settings option. Google directs users to their History to shut off Seasonal Savings, but other people have located this option within 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 have a History option where you can turn off Seasonal Savings, but many homeowners state the disable option is absent.
- Opting out before the program launches: The Seasonal Savings program is only available in summer and winter. Your smart device is supposed to be sent a notification when the program is about to launch, offering you the time to opt out.
When Seasonal Savings is on, your Nest should show a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If your Nest is having issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is not visible, your trouble could be with yet another setting entirely.
Sometimes the Issue Isn’t Seasonal Savings but Another Setting or Program
Alternative options on Nest smart thermostats apart from Seasonal Savings can cause automatic temperature changes. If these features are active during Seasonal Savings, even shutting off the program may not prevent the thermostat from making alterations. Fortunately, these settings can be switched off. You’ll also have options if the headache is a third party like a power company.
- Turning 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 establish the best possible schedule. Going into Settings and switching off Auto-Schedule should prevent other automatic controls like Seasonal Savings.
- Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats will still swap to eco temperatures if you have an auto-switching function like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These features automatically control the temperature when the thermostat assumes that everyone is out of the house.
- Opting out of the utility company’s energy agreement: Considering your energy provider may be remotely controlling a Nest thermostat, nullifying 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 everything else fails, reaching out to Google’s technical support might be of help. Staff can steer you to resetting the Nest or locating the correct setting to switch off Seasonal Savings.
If the Problem Remains, Your Thermostat May Be Malfunctioning
There’s always the chance the Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical problems or software bugs can cause all types of problems, including an aggravating Seasonal Savings program. If you believe the problem is isolated to your specific thermostat, a knowledgeable technician will be able to help. After all, smart thermostats continue to be a beneficial investment for your home’s energy efficiency.
If you prefer local assistance for your smart thermostat in Savannah, call the comfort experts at Coastal Service Experts. They can help you find out the best way to shut off an uncooperative Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.