Nanny State Test: Utility Company Locks Thermostats of 22K Customers in Colorado, Cites 'Energy Emergency'

PJ Media ^ | 09/01/2022 | RYAN LEDENDECKER

[SeekAndFind]

For many Americans, the summer of 2022 has been a blistering hot and humid miserable existence. It’s just one of those years when one truly appreciates the comfort provided by something as simple as an air conditioning unit. How did we live without them?

But for some 22,000 Xcel Energy customers in Colorado who wanted to be a little more comfortable on Tuesday when the thermometer was pegged at 90+ degrees, a bizarre message flashed on their thermostats indicating they’d lost the ability to control the temperature in their own homes.

According to KMGH-TV, “Energy Emergency” was part of the message that flashed on thermostats as temperatures skyrocketed and Xcel customers desperately tried to crank the A/C.

“Temperature locked temporarily during energy emergency. Due to a rare energy emergency that may affect the local energy grid, your temperature slider has been changed from 8:00 pm – 8:00 pm because you enrolled in a Community Energy Savings Program,” the full message read.

Thousands of Xcel customers locked out of thermostats during ‘energy emergency’


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— SemperFidelity (@semper_fidelity) September 1, 2022

However, customers enrolled in the otherwise innocent-sounding “program,” like Tony Talarico, had absolutely no idea they could lose full control of the ability to cool down their house during a nasty heat wave.

“Normally, when we see a message like that, we’re able to override it,” Talarico said, according to KMGH-TV. “In this case, we weren’t. So, our thermostat was locked in at 78 or 79.”

“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.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks for posting this reality. We control our NEST and our AC will come on at 81 in the area where we basically live.

“The other 2/3’s, where we don’t live, stays at 90 re any AC in the summer or 62 in the winter.

Poor babies. Locked at 78 or 79? That’s awful.

NOT.”

Ours stays at 78 all summer and has since the 70s. It has been done for economics alone all those years. In the winter it is at 68 for the same reason.

If I lived in Denver most of the other dry places in Colorado I would use evaporative coolers just like we did in the desert regions of Texas. They are cheap to operate and work very well in those climates.

How do snowflakes ever make it out of the house in the mornings?

[Sequoyah101]

We too are zoned but not in small compartments. I keep the shop at 80 in summer and 62, the lowest setting, in winter. Should be a lower setting on that mini-split but no.

The new addition is in three zoned areas.

If you don’t move too much 80 something is OK especially when it is 100 outside. All relative isn’t it?

I wonder why it takes just about as much juice to maintain a 20 degree cooling differential as it does a 40 degree heating differential? That one does not make much sense to me. Must be the radiant heat gain.

[Dust in the Wind]

Ooooo 78 or 79. My thermostat is set on 79 in daylight hours all summer long. I've gotten used to it and 79 feels wonderful coming in from working outside in 90+ temps. With temps above 100 for a lot of July, that was the only bill over $100 this season in a 3B-2b house. If they up the rates too much I figure I can stand a setting of 90-95 as I grew up with no ac. First thing installed on moving in were ceiling fans.

Yes I know it's a choice thing but I'd rather eat a little now than starve later...

[Grampa Dave]

BOL! We are related not closely to a couple back in the midwest with climates similar to our California area, except colder in the winter.

She recently retired and is staying home and their utility bills increased over $500/month in their 2 story home.

She apparently had the whole house either heating in the winter and cooling in the summertime.

The husband is an engineer and set up an office on the first floor for her summer use and one on the second floor for the cooler months.

She apparently after he went to work each day, set the same temps on both floors.

After the $500 monthly increases in bills hit and talking didn’t work. He installed Nests keyed into his smartphones and using the basic physics re hot air rising or cool air descending.

Since then, their monthly utility bills have decreased $600+ per month from the new highs after her retirement and staying home each day.

She has reacted like she is being beaten each day, and we are wondering if their marriage will last.

[ETCM]

So once again, people failed to read the fine print.

I'm pretty sure they received an offer very similar to the one I received in CA. It wasn't fine print, it was very clear. They give you a "free" smart thermostat and you give them the ability to modify the settings at their discretion. Here's the wording from my provider:

I must also allow SDG&E to remotely adjust the setting of the Thermostat at its sole discretion.

Why anyone would do this for a cheap thermostat is beyond me. I could understand if they gave you a monthly discount on your bill, but this seems like a pretty bad deal to me.