Posted on 09/01/2022 6:42:58 AM PDT by george76
22,000 people lost control of temperatures in their homes for hours Tuesday..
DENVER — During the dog days of summer, it's important to keep your home cool. But when thousands of Xcel customers in Colorado tried adjusting their thermostats Tuesday, they learned they had no control over the temperatures in their own homes.
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Xcel confirmed to Contact Denver7 that 22,000 customers who had signed up for the Colorado AC Rewards program were locked out of their smart thermostats for hours on Tuesday.
"It's a voluntary program. Let's remember that this is something that customers choose to be a part of based on the incentives," said Emmett Romine, vice president of customer solutions and innovation at Xcel.
Customers receive a $100 credit for enrolling in the program and $25 annually, but Romine said customers also agree to give up some control to save energy and money and make the system more reliable.
"So, it helps everybody for people to participate in these programs. It is a bit uncomfortable for a short period of time, but it's very, very helpful," said Romine.
This is the first time in the program's six year span that customers could not override their smart thermostats, Romine said. He said the "energy emergency" was due to an unexpected outage in Pueblo combined with hot weather and heavy air conditioner usage.
But Talarico said he had no idea that he could be locked out of the thermostat. While he has solar panels and a smart thermostat to save energy, he says he did not sign up to have this much control taken away.
"To me, an emergency means there is, you know, life, limb, or, you know, some other danger out there — some, you know, massive wildfires," Talarico said. "Even if it's a once-in-a-blue-moon situation, it just doesn't sit right with us to not be able to control our own thermostat in our house."
I would think control goes over the internet in one’s home. Smart users that were stupid enough to install this big brother app, could block access in their routers. Although since it is stupid users, they will suffer.
Gee, the VERY thing Xcel said would never happen.
Duke Energy asked if I wanted to participate in this and I declined. You knew up front that this was what was going to happen eventually, they weren’t going to just give away free money to people - Of course they are going to do it.
My house is geothermal, with a lake loop and a 5 ton Waterfurnace unit. No way was I going to allow them to do this to an all electric home.
I paid way too much to cut my usage as it was, and even on the record setting days in July I was still pulling 57 degree water from the bottom of a 40 ft deep lake to cool my house, I’m already doing my part.
I worked in HVAC for 40 years. Even today, a FAU/AC system can be activated with a simple jumper wire if you know how.
$25/yr to give somebody else the ability to turn my lights on and off? Nope.
Buy extra dumb ones now before they are outlawed.
Batteries here too. Florida. I have IP thermostats that are all local control. 5 hvac systems here. When running with batteries, home automation needs ability to regulate and time share hvac units.
Nothing I have involves ‘The Cloud’ — totally independent.
Yeah, remember those “smart meters” that were forced on everybody a few years ago?
A few years ago my power company would offer a rebate if you used less during peak hours.. They sure don’t do that anymore!
People should remember this when some politician proposes smart meters as mandatory, whether by government or by some public/private partnership. Because one day, it will be used similar to what Trudeau did with the Canadian Trucker's babk accounts.
Yup. And when you jumper, the smart stat likely will not even know it. So your big bro utility ‘thinks’ you are in complience.
What is it C to Y for cool ?
“First, they came for the Thermostats...”
Learning that the Gov can shut off your heating/ AC any time they want and for whatever reason they deem to be “an emergency”.
I expect with this kind of control over electrical devices. We will soon see..
Heat not above 55.
Ac not below 80.
Washer/ dryer/ Dishwasher 1x day max, between 11-4am
You want to recharge your electric car? based on your approved usage.. Your designated days are weds and Sun from 3-5am only..
Lights out at 12. Tvs off by 11...
I am wrong. RC to Y for cool. RH to H for heat.
The smart state will know it when the ambient temp drops below the setpoint.
**We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.**
I think we’ll soon learn just how “voluntary” this Xcel (non)-Energy program is ...
Sign up you’ll get a $100 credit and we’ll take care of you , HE HE
I was offered “up to 15%” discount by PECO if I agreed to this BS....NOPE! I’ll determine when and how I control my thermostat!
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