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From the article:

" [Brandon] English appears to have enrolled the thermostat, operated by the company EnergyHub, in a program known as “Smart Savers Texas,” KHOU 11 notes. The program, which customers have to opt-into, allows power companies to remotely adjust thermostats when energy demands are high in exchange for an entry into a sweepstakes. Other power companies have been known to offer customers reduced billing costs for entering similar programs.

Upon realizing the details of the program, English says he immediately unenrolled: “I wouldn’t want anybody else controlling my things for me.”

Read the EULA mother fucker!

Some of the initial articles were failing to mention the "sweepstakes" and some people getting between $80 and $150 credit (depending on square footage of house) for opting into and were making it sound like ERCOT was hacking into thermostats which was NOT THE CASE.

From the article: " [Brandon] English appears to have enrolled the thermostat, operated by the company EnergyHub, in a program known as “Smart Savers Texas,” KHOU 11 notes. The program, which customers have to opt-into, allows power companies to remotely adjust thermostats when energy demands are high in exchange for an entry into a sweepstakes. Other power companies have been known to offer customers reduced billing costs for entering similar programs. Upon realizing the details of the program, English says he immediately unenrolled: “I wouldn’t want anybody else controlling my things for me.” Read the EULA mother fucker! Some of the initial articles were failing to mention the "sweepstakes" and some people getting between $80 and $150 credit (depending on square footage of house) for opting into and were making it sound like ERCOT was hacking into thermostats which was NOT THE CASE.

(post is archived)

[–] • 4 pts

Agree

I also add that the world is in a mess because of idiots like the above, why ? let me give an example

1) New incredible insurance that let you save a few dollars if you have bigh brother in your car 2) Libtards and virtute signalers + penny savers give up privacy for a few dollars 3) The ones that do NOT want big brother will now find the insurance price rised up if they do NOT accept big brother

Let them roast

[–] • 1 pt

Even if you don't sign up for this, you can be sure that your "smart" thermostat is logging everything and providing to people who request the data. Every internet-connected electronic device is doing this. So keep a dumb thermostat.

[–] • 1 pt

I know of a couple who damn near got divorced because his wife wanted the KikeTracker Insurance Premium Reduction tracking unit that goes into the cigarette liter and has a GPS tracker and shit in it for an illusion of a $100 reduction in premium. He was a coworker and we explained to her what it was and some videos showing a teardown. She didn't come out of it hating kikes but she definitely questions more shit now.

It's almost like the Trump haters. I know several people whose wife, husband, parents, or kids just walked upon learning a family member voted for Trump. There is a woman at a client site I met who abandoned her family (husband and 2 kids) because hubby voted for Trump. No person with an average IQ and basic common sense should arrive at that conclusion but it clearly explains the enemy is winning.

[–] • 0 pt

I would not declare "winning" on either side so early

the battle is quite raging

[–] • 3 pts (edited )

Dumbasses. How hard is it to change out a thermostat, though? How hard would it be to trick a thermostat into thinking it is controlling something, if you needed that? I assume just supplying loads to the right pins. Mine doesn't even have a power input; it uses a battery.

Also, dumbasses, 78 or even 83 degrees isn't going to kill your newborn. What do you think happened to children before AC? Actually, don't answer that, but 83 isn't going to kill your newborn.

[–] • 1 pt

the whole bullshit about this was that the thermostat got changed during the night when demand was already down...full retard...

then again, I keep my thermostat at 78 during the day anyway when I'm home (in central texas) as at that setting the unit is running a lot anyway (e.g. cool dry air is being moved around) and that works for me, but at night? why??? I drop it to 75 or 76 according to the projected low

the whole concept of letting assholes with shit for brains control your thermostat is retarded...I rather feel no pity for anybody who signed up for it

[–] • 0 pt (edited )

the thermostat got changed during the night

The story I read was during the day, at 2:30 PM when taking an afternoon nap. Here's a :

When Deer Park resident Brandon English got home from work on Wednesday, his house was hot.

“(My wife) had it cranked it down at 2:30,” English said. "It takes a long time for this house to get cool when it gets that hot.”

English’s wife and their daughters decided to take their afternoon nap earlier in the day.

“They’d been asleep long enough that the house had already gotten to 78 degrees,” English said. “So they woke up sweating.”

Without anyone touching it, they said their thermostat was changed while they were sleeping, making their home unbearably hot.

“Was my daughter at the point of overheating?” English said. “She’s 3 months old. They dehydrate very quickly.”

[–] • 0 pt

well I stand corrected then...and to be clear, in Texas during the day having the AC at 78 is just fine unless you're a fucking candy ass niggerfaggot...I should know having lived here for 32 years

[–] • 0 pt

I know someone who keeps it at 70. More money than sense.

[–] • 1 pt

Same shit happened in my area. They offered a discount on your bill if you would allow the electric company to shut off your AC for an hour or two when loads got to high. Idiots signed up en mass. Then the first heat wave where they actually did it, people were feeling well over themselves to cancel. Fucking irresponsible people.

[–] • 1 pt

It might be beneficial if you just hook up the thermostat to a power supply, connected to nothing and simply use a dumb thermostat.

[–] • 0 pt

In my area, I think they anticipated that. Your AC was hooked up to a separate smart meter, so they could cut off the power directly at the source. An enterprising person could always have it cross wired, but that's a little above most randos pay grade.

[–] • 1 pt

Lol, I love how they demonize air conditioners, but they want us charging massive batteries in EVs plugged in to our houses all at the same time. All while telling this from their freezing ACs while wearing multiple layers of expensive tailor suites.

[–] • 1 pt

the devastating snowstorm last February that resulted in widespread power outages.

REMEMBER; That DID NOT HAPPEN. The weather had ZERO percent to do with TX outage this winter. It was 100% due to the forced use of (((green energy))) and a significant reduction in output by traditional power stations.

[–] • 0 pt

Yeah, people blaming that on the weather is like blaming the rain for your sports car getting wet because you had the roof down.

[–] • 0 pt

My shit is on 70

[–] • 0 pt

78 degrees? What a bitch.

[–] • 0 pt

They have similar programs for hot water heaters also. Which makes more sense when compared to air conditioning.

[–] • 0 pt

They give you almost $100 to enable it. Are you a sensitive man who can't take 80 degrees occasionally in the afternoon?

Besides, people commented that you can just hook another thermostat up in parallel with the temperature set higher. Then if the main thermostat gets neutered by the power company, the dumb one will kick in one the temperature rises.