Smart thermostats are increasing in popularity as more and more homeowners look for ways to lower their energy expenses. These accessories can be programmed to automatically maintain the temperature at home in line with your weekly schedule. They also have the capability to study any preferences over time. For this reason, you can spend less on your energy bills by ensuring that your HVAC system is only on when you need it.
Google’s smart thermostat is the Nest, and lots of homeowners are content with its features and general efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–may be making trouble rather than supporting your HVAC system. Frequent issues are driving homeowners to find out how to disable this feature. We’ll present the issues some people are having with Seasonal Savings and include instructions for how to opt out of the setting.
Many Homeowners Claim the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Correctly
Google designed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners boost their energy efficiency. Around peak HVAC use in the summer and winter, it is supposed to automatically adjust the thermostat to match your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is expected to run without interrupting your sense of comfort, implementing the biggest changes when you’re away or asleep. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for numerous people participating in the program.
Alternatively, there are claims that the program is inconsistent and difficult to use. Homeowners are complaining that the program is even increasing their energy bills instead of reducing them. And when they attempt to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve found the way to do so is tough to find or entirely missing. In many cases people have even discovered it being flipped back on after it was disabled.
Smart thermostats are supposed to boost the efficiency of your heating and cooling. While automatic temperature adjustments are a widespread feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t override your preferred settings. If your Nest refuses to accommodate your comfort preferences, opting out of the Seasonal Savings option is the right move.
But First, Why Is This Happening?
Homeowners are noticing that the Seasonal Savings setting was started on their Nest thermostat without their permission. Why can a smart thermostat you control overlook your settings and enroll in the program? It may be because of an energy-efficiency agreement you signed up for with a utility company.
These agreements help you improve your home’s energy efficiency. They may come with rebates on new accessories or special offers for renewable energy products. But most people are alarmed to find out they also permit your utility company remote access to the thermostat. If the power grid is struggling with a heavy load, the utility company can take over your thermostat and change the temperature. You may well be having issues with the Seasonal Savings program because a utility company is making use of this remote access.
But what if the program is defective or just ignoring your preferences? Whatever the reason may be, you don’t want a feature to double your energy use without your permission. We’ll share how other users have disabled the Seasonal Savings program.
How to Disable Your Nest Thermostat’s Seasonal Savings Feature
A number of people have experienced trouble shutting off the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting could be different according to your specific Nest model, other users are worried that Google is deliberately making it harder to opt out of Seasonal Savings. To ensure 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 outrank the Seasonal Savings program, but numerous users have discovered this isn’t entirely accurate. If you note your Nest constantly reversing your changes, you’ll probably prefer to turn off the feature outright.
- Shutting off 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 switch off Seasonal Savings, but other homeowners have located this option in Settings. Once disabled, the program is temporarily off until the subsequent summer or winter.
- Disabling the program from the Nest thermostat: Your thermostat should also possess a History option where you can opt out of Seasonal Savings, but some homeowners report the disable option is not there.
- Opting out before the program begins: The Seasonal Savings program is only accessible during summer and winter. Your smart device is supposed to receive a notification when the program is about to begin, giving you the time to opt out.
When Seasonal Savings is engaged, your Nest should feature a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If your Nest is experiencing issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is not visible, your predicament might be with a different setting entirely.
Sometimes the Problem Isn’t Seasonal Savings but a Different Setting or Program
Other settings on Nest smart thermostats apart from Seasonal Savings can cause automatic temperature changes. If these settings are active during Seasonal Savings, even opting out of the program may not keep the thermostat from making changes. Luckily, 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 extend the Auto-Schedule feature, using their ability to learn your preferences to establish the ideal schedule. Going into Settings and shutting off Auto-Schedule should prevent other automatic adjustments like Seasonal Savings.
- Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats will still swap to eco temperatures if you possess an auto-switching function like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These settings automatically regulate the temperature when the thermostat assumes that the house is empty.
- Negating the utility company’s energy agreement: Because your energy provider may be remotely controlling the Nest thermostat, cancelling the agreement should get rid of unwanted access. You can find the complete details of these agreements from your energy provider.
- Calling Google support: If everything else fails, contacting Google’s technical support might be of assistance. Staff can guide you to resetting the Nest or locating the proper setting to switch off Seasonal Savings.
If the Problem Persists, Your Thermostat May Be Defective
There’s always the possibility your Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical issues or software glitches can trigger all types of problems, including an aggravating Seasonal Savings program. If you suspect the problem is isolated to your specific thermostat, a seasoned technician may be able to help. After all, smart thermostats are still a valuable investment for your home’s energy efficiency.
If you want local support for your smart thermostat in Livermore, contact the HVAC professionals at Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning. They can help you determine the best way to switch off a stubborn Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.