An energy company locked clients from changing their thermostats Tuesday when temperatures in Colorado reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Xcel Energy has approximately 1.3 million customers in the state and allows customers to opt in to its AC Rewards Smart Thermostat Program, which allows the company to override thermostats in order to ease the electrical grid. In return, customers receive a $100 credit and an annual rebate of $25.
WHEN YOU LET SOFTWARE CONTROL YOUR HOME, YOU DON’T HAVE CONTROL OF YOUR HOME
Customers still have the option to override the company’s restrictions, but during “energy emergencies,” their thermostats are locked by Xcel. Tuesday was declared an energy emergency, and as a result, controls were stuck at about 78 degrees for several hours, with 22,000 affected customers.
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That day was the first time in the program’s six years that the company implemented a shutdown, according to Xcel Energy spokeswoman Michelle Aguayo. An unexpected power outage in Pueblo, Colorado, rose to the company’s standards of an energy emergency.
“Customers are aware of this when they enroll in the program,” Aguayo said. She added that it’s a voluntary program so customers are always free to opt out if the program “no longer meets their needs.”
