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The headline at WFAA reads: 'Woke up sweating': Some Texans shocked to find their smart thermostats were raised remotely
When Deer Park resident Brandon English got home from work on Wednesday, his house was hot.
[...] His wife received an alert on her phone soon after that. The family said their thermostat had been changed remotely, raising the temperature of their home during a three-hour “energy saving event.”
The family’s smart thermostat was installed a few years ago as part of a new home security package. Many smart thermostats can be enrolled in a program called "Smart Savers Texas." It's operated by a company called EnergyHub.
The agreement states that in exchange for an entry into sweepstakes, electric customers allow them to control their thermostats during periods of high energy demand. EnergyHub’s list of its clients include TXU Energy, CenterPoint and ERCOT.
Previously:
'Unplanned' Outages Hit Texas Power Plants in Soaring Temperatures
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 20 2021, @06:05PM
That same 78° F is the Department of Energy's recommended setting for air conditioners for when you are home (if you're away, it should be warmer) and not cool enough with the windows open instead. [energy.gov] It's a perfectly reasonable temperature.