How to Disable Your Nest Thermostats Seasonal Savings Program

Smart thermostats are growing in popularity as more and more homeowners seek out ways to lower their energy expenses. These accessories can be programmed to conveniently maintain the temperature of your home in line with your regular schedule. They also have the capability to learn any preferences over time. As a result, you can spend less on your energy bills by seeing to it that your home is only heated or cooled when you need it.

Google’s smart thermostat is the Nest, and many homeowners are satisfied with its features and general efficiency. But one feature–the Seasonal Savings program–is stirring up trouble instead of assisting your HVAC system. Consistent issues are pushing homeowners to find out how to switch 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 Like It Should

Google developed the Seasonal Savings program to help homeowners increase their energy efficiency. During the highest 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 supposed to run without getting in the way of your sense of comfort, making the biggest changes when you’re away or sleeping. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for many people taking part in the program.

Alternatively, there are reports that the program is sporadic and irritating to use. Homeowners are complaining that the program is actually increasing their energy bills instead of reducing them. And when they attempt to disable or opt out of Seasonal Savings, they’ve discovered the option to do so is tough to find or just absent. In some cases people have even observed it being flipped back on after it was disabled.

Smart thermostats are expected to increase the efficiency of your HVAC equipment. While automatic temperature changes are a common feature in smart thermostats, it shouldn’t overrule your preferred settings. If your Nest isn’t meeting your comfort preferences, disabling the Seasonal Savings feature is the correct move.

But First, Why Is This A Problem?

Homeowners are complaining that the Seasonal Savings program was activated on their Nest thermostat without their approval. Why can a smart thermostat you operate neglect your settings and enroll in the program? It might be because of an energy-efficiency agreement you registered for with your utility company.

These agreements help you improve your home’s energy efficiency. They may come with rebates on new equipment or special discounts for renewable energy systems. But numerous people are shocked to hear they also permit your utility company remote access to your thermostat. If the power grid is struggling with a heavy load, the utility company can take over your thermostat and turn up the temperature. You could be having trouble with the Seasonal Savings program because a utility company is using this remote access.

But what if the feature is faulty or just dismissing your preferences? Whatever the reason may be, you don’t want a feature to increase your energy use without your approval. We’ll share how other homeowners have switched off the Seasonal Savings program.

How to Disable Your Nest Thermostat’s Seasonal Savings Feature

A number of people have disclosed trouble opting out of the Seasonal Savings feature. While the location of this setting might be different depending on your specific Nest model, other users are concerned that Google is deliberately making it tougher to disable Seasonal Savings. To ensure you can opt out no matter what, we’ll describe the ways other users have enjoyed success.

1. 1. 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 observe your Nest constantly undoing your changes, you’ll probably prefer to disable the feature entirely.

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

3. 3. Shutting off the program from the Nest thermostat: Your thermostat should also feature a History option where you can disable Seasonal Savings, but some homeowners claim the disable option is gone.

4. 4. Opting out before the program starts: The Seasonal Savings program is only accessible in summer and winter. Your smart device will receive a notification when the program is about to begin, offering you the time to opt out.

When Seasonal Savings is active, your Nest is supposed to feature a small yellow symbol of a leaf. If a Nest is having issues and the Seasonal Savings icon is not visible, your trouble could be with yet another 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 lead to automatic temperature changes. If these settings are active during Seasonal Savings, even opting out of the program may not deter the thermostat from making adjustments. Thankfully, these settings can be disabled. You’ll also have options if the problem 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 study your preferences to define the best possible schedule. Going into Settings and shutting off Auto-Schedule should stop other automatic adjustments like Seasonal Savings.

1. 1. Disabling auto switching: Nest thermostats will still shift to eco temperatures if you use an auto-switching function like Home & Away Routines or Home/Away Assist. These features automatically adjust the temperature when the thermostat thinks that everyone is out of the house.

6. 6. Leaving the utility company’s energy agreement: Because your energy provider could be remotely controlling the Nest thermostat, nullifying the agreement should remove remote access. You can obtain the full details of these agreements through your energy provider.

7. 7. Calling Google support: If all else fails, reaching out to Google’s technical support might be of help. Staff can steer you to resetting the Nest or locating the proper setting to shut off Seasonal Savings.

If the Problem Persists, Your Thermostat Could Be Malfunctioning

There’s always the risk the Nest smart thermostat is just malfunctioning. Electrical issues or software bugs can result in all sorts of trouble, including an inconsistent Seasonal Savings program. If you believe the problem is isolated to your personal thermostat, a seasoned technician may be able to help. After all, smart thermostats continue to be a beneficial investment for your home’s energy efficiency.

If you need local support for your smart thermostat in the U.S., get in touch with the HVAC specialists at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. They can help you find the best way to stop a stubborn Seasonal Savings program on your Nest thermostat.