The Terrifying Downside To Smart Thermostats

Using a thermostat can be a real lifesaver during a heat wave. Even if the outside feels like it's on fire, you can stay comfortable in your own home without risking overheating — or so most of us tend to think. However, a whopping 22,000 people recently found themselves locked out of their thermostats and stuck with temperatures reaching as high as 88 degrees Fahrenheit in the middle of a massive heat wave. This situation, which caused an uproar on social media, reveals something many smart thermostat owners weren't aware of: that they could lose control of the temperatures in their own house.

This unexpected breakdown, first reported on by Denver7, affected thousands of Xcel Energy customers on August 30, 2022. In these households, when someone tried to adjust the temperatures, they found that they were unable to do so. Among those frustrated Xcel users was Tony Talarico, who spoke to Denver7 and said, "It was 90 out, and it was right during the peak period. It was hot." Such temperatures certainly call for some tweaks on the thermostat, but when Talarico tried to do just that, he found that the temperature was locked due to an energy emergency.

Normally, customers are able to override these messages, but not this time. In the case of Talarico and thousands of other customers, the thermostat remained firmly locked at anywhere between 75 and 88 degrees. In a terrifying truth, many of these Xcel customers discovered for the first time that they are not in full control of what happens in their homes.

Xcel Energy also spoke to Denver7 and confirmed that 22,000 customers were indeed locked out of their thermostats. However, the affected customers were not just chosen at random — they were all members of the Colorado AC Rewards program who voluntarily agreed to give up some control of their thermostats in order to save energy and money. These customers receive a one-time $100 worth of credit and then $25 annually for as long as they are enrolled. In return, during energy emergencies, they may be locked out and unable to control the temperatures in their homes.

Emmett Romine, vice president of customer solutions and innovations at Xcel, told Denver7: "It's a voluntary program. Let's remember that this is something that customers choose to be a part of based on the incentives. 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." However, it seems that many customers, including Talarico, were unaware of the fact that they might be fully locked out of their thermostats. The energy emergency was caused by an unexpected outage in Pueblo, Colorado, that took place on top of the extremely hot weather and increased air conditioner usage.

Are the yearly savings worth handing over the controls to something inside your home to a corporation? It's up to each Xcel customer to judge, but in any case, it's a truth that participants of the rewards program and owners of these smart thermostats just might have to deal with.