When the Electric Reliability Council of Texas issued a call for people to conserve energy last week, some Texans say their thermostats were adjusted without their knowledge.
In a Reddit thread, some say they had signed up for "Smart Savers Texas" electric plans, which included a "smart thermostat" and a discounted rate for electricity. They say the plan entered customers into a sweepstakes if the customer agreed to let their thermostat be controlled remotely during periods of high demand.
"Power companies are messing with people's thermostats because they buried an opt-in checkbox," one person wrote.
"I assume there is a contract, along with a hefty early cancellation fee, but I'd eat that fee to not let someone else control my indoor temp," another wrote.
Some say their thermostats were automatically changed during last week's weather. The program is operated by the company, EnergyHub.
EnergyHub says its clients include ERCOT, Oncor and several retail providers in Texas. The company wrote in a statement that Smart Savers Texas plans help "support grid reliability by working with thermostat manufacturer and security dealer partners to sign up connected thermostat owners to participate in reducing energy use when the grid needs it most.
The statement reads:
"Thermostat owners typically receive an offer to participate from their manufacturer or service provider within their mobile app or via email. During a demand response event, Smart Savers Texas increases the temperature on participating thermostats by up to four degrees to reduce energy consumption and relieve stress on the grid. Every participant actively agrees to the terms of the program and can opt-out of a demand response event at any time.
The ability to reduce energy consumption is critical to managing the grid, in Texas and nationwide. EnergyHub works with more than 50 utilities across the country to harness connected devices to meet grid needs. This is a tool to reliably reduce load on the grid enabled through the technology of EnergyHub and our connected thermostat partners.”
Some people replying to the Reddit thread said their electric provider sent texts and emails earlier in the day to warn them the thermostat would be increased. They say they were allowed to override the settings, but they would not receive their discount.
Others wrote that users should instead have read the entire agreement before signing up. They also said increasing temperature to 78 degrees may be an inconvenience but would not be dangerous.
"Uncomfortable isn’t the same as dying," one person wrote.
"Growing up my family often had the thermostat set to 80 in the summer because we couldn't afford large electricity bills. They're being extremely dramatic," another wrote.
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