Colorado Woman Finds Out the Hard Way Why You Never Want a 'Smart' Thermostat in Your House

 

Some “smart,” internet-connected devices are pretty cool. You can control your lights remotely, make sure the alarm is on, be warned if someone is in your driveway, or check to see if a package has been delivered.

But there’s one device I have refused to be tempted by: a smart thermostat. Why? Because Big Brother might dictate to you what temperature you’re allowed to set it to.

That’s exactly what happened to a Colorado woman who made the serious mistake of allowing her power company access. The Rocky Mountain state has been going through a heat wave as of late, and that’s not the time you want somebody to be telling you to cut back on the AC. 

When she needed a little comfort, her Internet Overlords said, “nope.”

 

A Colorado woman tried to lower her AC from 79 degrees, but her smart thermostat told her she wasn’t allowed.

The warning cited stress on the regional power grid and temporarily blocked her from lowering the temperature.

She participates in Xcel Energy’s voluntary program, which offers incentives for allowing the utility to adjust enrolled customers’ air conditioning during certain events.

“There always needs to be an opt out feature.”

We’ve been having a very hot summer here in California as well, and I can tell you that when it gets above 79 inside the house, it can get pretty uncomfortable, especially if you’re trying to get a little shut-eye. And what if you have kids? “It’s literally not safe,” the woman said.

Big Brother does not care:

Kyri Baker, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, told NBC affiliate 9 News that she attempted to turn down her home thermostat from an uncomfortable 79 degrees to a less hellish 75, only to receive a message from Xcel Energy informing her that the power grid was too taxed to accommodate the decrease.

“I just wanted to set it to 75, something very reasonable so my daughter could fall asleep,” she explained.

When Baker tried to lower her thermostat, she received the following message: ‘To conserve energy in your community due to stress on the regional energy grid, you cannot set your temperature to be lower.’

Baker’s experience coincided with an extreme heat wave in Colorado where temperatures reached 100 degrees on Saturday and remained in the 90s across parts of the Centennial State on Monday and Tuesday.

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Ironically, Baker opted into the program with the best of progressive intentions, but she found out the hard way that is rarely a good idea.

Baker voluntarily enrolled in the program to offset her carbon footprint during periods of high demand, she was unaware she would not be able to adjust her thermostat.

“It was kind of annoying. I’m doing my part to help the grid, and I’m getting penalized for it in some way.”

"1984" author George Orwell would likely have thoughts if he were alive today:

A few years ago, the electric company stopped by and asked if we wanted to opt in to their new “smart” meters, and we said, “no way, Jose.” The concern is, of course, that they could limit your consumption and/or shut your power off altogether on a whim. They've always had the ability to come by and shut off your energy if you haven’t paid your bill, but that process often takes time, and you're not at the mercy of an intern manning a keyboard.

The thought of CA Gov. Gavin Newsom controlling how often I use my appliances makes me nauseous. And believe me, he would.

Kyri Baker now knows.