Utilities are tapping into customers’ solar panels, home batteries and smart thermostats to avoid blackouts in a program establishing “virtual power plants.”
I’m not in Texas, but on a similar plan. Initially it got me a free ecobee thermostat, now I get I think a yearly credit. It’s not much, but in the 3+ years I’ve had it I think I’ve noticed them adjusting it twice. Certainly not 9 times a day. And I don’t think they shut off heat/ac just adjust the temp a few degrees.
We have this program through Xcel and you correctly describe how theirs works. During peak periods our hold temp at the thermostat might go up a couple degrees for a few hours during peak usage
We’ve never noticed it due to any discomfort from the adjusted temp.
I’m not in Texas, but on a similar plan. Initially it got me a free ecobee thermostat, now I get I think a yearly credit. It’s not much, but in the 3+ years I’ve had it I think I’ve noticed them adjusting it twice. Certainly not 9 times a day. And I don’t think they shut off heat/ac just adjust the temp a few degrees.
We have this program through Xcel and you correctly describe how theirs works. During peak periods our hold temp at the thermostat might go up a couple degrees for a few hours during peak usage
We’ve never noticed it due to any discomfort from the adjusted temp.