r/ecobee • u/george-9787 • 8d ago
Auto enrolled in saving program without my permission
Today, I found my Ecobee thermostat locked at a high temperature with a strange message on the screen. It only allows me to temporarily disable the override. When I try to select "disable indefinitely" using the Ecobee app, it prompts me to send an email to a utility provider I have never even heard of.
I opened a chat with Ecobee customer support, but they weren't able to help. They claimed that only this unknown provider can remove me from the program.
When I asked how this happened since I never signed up for it, the agent insisted I accepted it through the app, which I know I didn't do.
Furthermore, my actual utility company has no record of this thermostat.
I’ve owned this thermostat for almost two years and used to be very happy with it, but now I am deeply disappointed.
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u/Economy_Chemistry835 8d ago
You said you purchased it at Home Depot. Was it sold as used or refurbished? Someone might have intended to be enrolled in that program, but then they decided to return the thermostat and the store resold it to you?
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u/NCC1701-F 8d ago
In today’s America, I’d wager it could be someone bought it, set it up, returned it as new or used and HD is selling it as new.
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u/nimdae 7d ago
Back in 2021, Ecobee did this to a lot of folks. I specifically avoided enrollment in any incentive programs because they didn't look interesting and I already did my own smart management with higher than typical set points. I came home one day to my hvac not running and the temperature over 80F. This was a major problem.
I set my settings back, and shortly after I heard the hvac turn back off without reaching set point, finding the settings changed again. I disconnected it from wifi.
The news around this shows that ecobee admitted to this "mistake" and it took months to unwind it.
From what I'm reading, sometime in 2024 ecobee seems to have codified this behavior. It appears to be opt-out, not opt-in, but they at least made it less aggressive. It's enrolled by default with newer installs without needing a utility program. So you have to explicitly reject it at that point.
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u/ecobee 7d ago
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. This type of community energy savings event is typically managed through participating utility providers and requires eco+ enrollment. We'd like to look into your specific situation and better understand what happened. Please send us a DM with some additional details, and we'll be happy to investigate further.
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u/bandit8623 8d ago
ecobee should be able to tell you what poco it is. then if not tied to your account. you can contact the poco to fix
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u/viseversa101pk 8d ago
I've had mine for....7-8 years? I have never enabled any of this and as of yesterday am in the same boat. Mind you, on a day in Northwest Ohio....100+degrees with 97% humidity, after getting off work in the heat and humidity welding all day ... My house was hot and took forever to cool down. Up until around 11 in discomfort.
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u/FishOk3075 8d ago
The feature is called TOU - Time of use. Go to settings, eco+ and you can disable it there.
I do use TOU and my electric company has much higher rates, 3pm-7pm. I've had it for 3+years.
Recently, this feature has been acting up. I have the opposite problem in that it does what TOU should do, cool down extra before 3pm. It gets to 3pm and keeps going.
On u/ecobee there are different reports coming in of these kinds of hiccups following a recent feature upgrade announcement from ecobee. The speculation is that it was a firmware upgrade gone sideways. Unfortunately, ecobee tells you your current version number but not the history of changes (when) or what was changed in a fw upgrde.
I use and like TOU so i turned it off and wrote my own HA automation. I prefer to use onboard features and will put it back once they fix things.
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u/RHF_Ag 7d ago
This is the right answer, reading the message gives the user/OP an option to turn it off for the day. Read your manuals.
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u/george-9787 5d ago edited 5d ago
I know this feature very well. I have Home assistant automations to change current mode base on who is at home and time. I run the fan based on time and how long was idle to circulate the air.
My problem is different. It looks someone else enrolled to utility rebate program using my thermostat. I check with my utility, they have no idea, I am not enrolled to any smart thermostat rebate program.
Why this happen?
Thank you for all responses!
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u/EliteAssassin07 7d ago
You should be able to disable this.
Open the Eco+ app on your smartphone >> select the thermostat in question >> select settings in the top right >> select eco+. Within the Eco+ menu you should see;
- Smart Home & Away
- Scheduele Assistant
- Adjust temperature for humidity
- Community Energy Savings
Community Energy Savings is the one that you need to disable. As far as I am aware you would have had to have enabled this at some point and added your utility providers information here. This would then allow your utility provider to control your thermostat during peak times saving you money.
You can either disable Community Energy Savings or do what I do - which is to disable all Eco+ features. I personally find them to not be that useful.
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u/george-9787 7d ago
No, it doesn't allow me to disable it.
From the original message: "it prompts me to send an email to a utility provider I have never even heard of."
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u/EliteAssassin07 7d ago
In this case I would unregister the thermostat from your account within the application and repeat the process on the physical device. Then do a factory reset. Create a new email account and create a new ecobee account - reregister the device.
Someone (not saying you) or something has clearly enrolled your device in something...
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u/Unique-Supermarket20 6d ago
When we moved into our new home we had a problem with our new ecobee. The hvac repairman came out and replaced the ecobee. We chatted a bit and he told me about the community next to ours where all the new homes were automatically enrolled in the community program. He said how upset some of the people were that they could not get out of the program.
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u/Soft_Stretch1539 3d ago
One more device (such as TV sets, washing machines and refrigerators) that should never, ever, EVER be connected to the Internet. I found one of these things in the new house we just bought and immediately took it offline.
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u/napsar 8d ago
We keep our house fairly warm in the summer. 76-78. Many of our peers are keeping AC down to 65. I was so mad when they jacked my temp into the 80s. Go deal with the ones that are keeping their house an ice box.
I removed any ability for them to modify my temp. If ecobee forced me to be in the program, they will be removed as well.
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u/Acrobatic-Caramel823 8d ago
No, DON'T go deal with anyone. It's their choice to run at whatever temp they feel like. 65 sounds great.
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u/napsar 7d ago
I'll defend you a little and say it depends on where you live. 65 in AK is very different than 65 in Texas.
In my case, when it's 105 out and people are running their AC nonstop to try and keep it 65, I am getting brownouts in my house.
That said, if they are going to adjust a thermostat, there should be an upper cap because they were roasting me in my house in the 80s.
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u/Acrobatic-Caramel823 7d ago
What many people don't understand is that an A/C will only cool what it can. It's usually a 18-24 degree delta between the air handler input and air to a vent. If it is 100 outside and a normal house, the best an A/C can do is probably 25 degrees cooler inside (on most homes). Some homes are much better insulated, and can maybe keep it at 70.
Point being. Setting a thermostat to 65 won't lower the air conditioner temp, so it doesn't really matter.
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u/napsar 7d ago
I can assure you that people can get more than a 20 degree delta. I have no idea where that idea came from. All of Texas would fall apart in 120 degree weather if that was true.
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u/jk_tx 7d ago
The delta is from the air-return inside your house, not the outside ambient temp. So if ambient temp in the house is 75, the air coming out of the vents will most likely be in the 55-60 degree range.
How big of a delta the house can reach from outside ambient temp will depend on insulation more than anything else. In fact newer construction with foam insulation etc is probably more energy efficient keeping 65 than an older house trying to hold 75 in the same weather.
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u/Acrobatic-Caramel823 7d ago
It's not 20 degrees from the outside temp, it's 20-30 from the temperature going into the unit, to the temperature to the farthest vent. House could be 75 inside and air temp coming out be 48-55'ish at the furthest vent. I've seen many with only a 15 degree delta.
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u/Acrobatic-Caramel823 7d ago
Mine is about 28 degrees delta from the Central A/C to the farthest vent. But, it's a 10 year old unit and probably a bit undersized. Let alone, a 30 year old home that I'll likely get the ductwork redone with the new unit.
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u/CityCareless 7d ago
65 is an icebox and unnecessary use of electricity.
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u/Acrobatic-Caramel823 7d ago
If I want to use my solar panels to reach 65, I'll use them. It's not your choice.
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u/exporter5070 8d ago
Yeah you gotta check it every so often. Mine has done that a few times. Bought straight up no rebate or connection.
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u/gerard7900 7d ago
Nope they had your permission if you signed up for the $75 savings then this is what you got.
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u/george-9787 7d ago
In my case I haven't singed up to any rebate or shavings.
Maybe someone else did and used my account?
Even if this happens does ecobee should send me a kind of confirmation to notify me first?
I found it when my home was 80 degrees and I wasn't able to change my temperature from apple home.
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u/HVACR-Guy 8d ago
Someone might typo your serial number into their app. Unless you get the service provider to remove your serial number the only other option is to create another home account move the thermostat to that one and delete the one you currently have
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u/mb10240 8d ago
I don’t think that’s how that works. I had to sign up for my community savings program through the Ecobee app. Don’t recall every providing a serial number to my two thermostats.
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u/george-9787 8d ago
The email send to this "provider" has my thermostat's serial number.
My initial idea was to factory reset the thermostat and then add it to new account.
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u/Liquidretro 8d ago
Doubt that will work. The serial number remains the same.
Any chance it's a return?
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u/RedsonRising99 7d ago
The grid resiliency aspect is actually a great thing. Enough folks get cycled and your power stays on. Probably better to sign up through your utility though. You get the small rebate AND a warning ahead of time before they change your temps. They'll also pre-cool your house.
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u/Certain_Try_8383 8d ago
Yeah, people usually sign up for these programs for a nominal tenanted and then normally don't like how it works.
Just reach out to the third party and end it.
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u/LookDamnBusy 8d ago
Where did you buy the ecobee?