“because you enrolled in a Community Energy Savings Program...”
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.