How to Turn Off Your Nest Thermostats Seasonal Savings Program

Smart thermostats are growing in popularity as more and more homeowners look for ways to reduce their energy costs. These systems can be programmed to conveniently adjust the temperature at home according to your regular schedule. They also have the capacity to memorize comfort preferences over time. Subsequently, 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 plenty of homeowners are content with its features and general efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–is making trouble as opposed to improving your HVAC system. Consistent issues are forcing homeowners to find out 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 Argue the Seasonal Savings Program Isn’t Working Like It Should

Google developed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners improve their energy efficiency. For peak HVAC use in the summer and winter, it can automatically adjust the thermostat to satisfy your preferences with energy efficiency. The program is intended to run without disrupting your sense of comfort, setting up the biggest changes when you’re away or asleep. Sadly, this isn’t the case for lots of people taking part in the program.

In fact, there are claims that the program is contradictory and irritating 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 noticed the way to do so is hard to find or entirely missing. In some cases people have even observed it being flipped back on after it was disabled.

Smart thermostats are expected to enhance the efficiency of your HVAC equipment. While automatic temperature adjustments are a widespread feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t bypass your desired settings. If the 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 feature was started on their Nest thermostat without their authorization. Why should a smart thermostat you control brush off your settings and enroll in the program? It may be because of an energy-efficiency program you registered for with your utility company.

These agreements help you increase your home’s energy efficiency. They can come with rebates on new accessories or special offers for renewable energy products. But many people are alarmed to learn they also allow your utility company remote access to your thermostat. If the power grid is experiencing a heavy load, the utility company can take over your thermostat and raise the temperature. You may be having problems with the Seasonal Savings program due to the fact that a utility company is using this remote access.

But what if the feature is malfunctioning or just dismissing your preferences? Whatever the reason might be, you don’t want a feature to double your energy use without your approval. We’ll review how other users have opted out of the Seasonal Savings program.

How to Disable Your Nest Thermostat’s Seasonal Savings Feature

A number of people have disclosed trouble shutting off the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting could be different depending on your specific Nest model, other users are nervous that Google is intentionally making it more difficult to disable Seasonal Savings. To ensure you can opt out no matter what, we’ll list the ways other users have enjoyed success.

1. 1. 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 observe your Nest persistently reversing your changes, you’ll probably want to shut off the feature completely.

2. 2. Shutting off the program from the Nest app: Your phone or tablet’s Nest app should have a History option and a Settings option. Google points users to their History to turn off Seasonal Savings, but other homeowners have located this option within Settings. Once disabled, the setting is temporarily off until the next summer or winter.

3. 3. Disabling the program from the Nest thermostat: Your thermostat should also have a History option where you can opt out of Seasonal Savings, but some homeowners report the disable option is missing.

4. 4. Opting out before the program launches: The Seasonal Savings program is only obtainable in summer and winter. Your smart device is supposed to be sent a notification when the program is about to launch, allowing you the time to opt out.

When Seasonal Savings is engaged, your Nest will display a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If your Nest is experiencing issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is absent, your problem could be with a different setting entirely.

Sometimes the Source Isn’t Seasonal Savings but a Different Setting or Program

Different options on Nest smart thermostats apart from Seasonal Savings can cause counterintuitive temperature changes. If these settings are active during Seasonal Savings, even disabling the program may not stop the thermostat from making adjustments. Luckily, these settings can be disabled. You’ll also have options if the issue is a third party like the power company.

5. 5. Switching 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 define the perfect schedule. Going into Settings and switching off Auto-Schedule should prevent other automatic changes including Seasonal Savings.

1. 1. Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats will still flip to eco temperatures if you use an auto-switching setting like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These features automatically control the temperature when the thermostat assumes that no one is home.

6. 6. Opting out of the utility company’s energy agreement: Considering your energy provider might be remotely controlling the Nest thermostat, negating the agreement should take away unwanted access. You can obtain the full details of these agreements with your energy provider.

7. 7. Contacting Google support: If everything else fails, calling Google’s technical support could be of assistance. Staff can direct you to resetting the Nest or finding the proper setting to disable Seasonal Savings.

If the Problem Continues, Your Thermostat Could Be Malfunctioning

There’s always the risk your Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical problems or software bugs can trigger all kinds of problems, including an obnoxious Seasonal Savings program. If you believe the problem is isolated to your personal thermostat, an experienced technician may be able to help. After all, smart thermostats remain a valuable investment for your home’s energy efficiency.

If you’d like local assistance for your smart thermostat in the U.S., contact the comfort professionals at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. They can help you determine the ideal way to shut off an uncooperative Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.