Thousands of Colorado residents were unable to control the temperature in their homes for hours on Tuesday after Xcel Energy blocked their smart thermostats due to an “energy emergency.”
Temperatures hit the 90s in parts of Colorado on Tuesday, according to KMGH-TV.
According to 9News, nearly 22,000 affected customers have signed up for AC Rewards, which provides users with discounts in exchange for allowing Xcel Energy to control their thermostats on the hottest days of the year.
The program has approximately 45,600 customers in Colorado, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. In total, Xcel Energy has 1.5 million customers.
On Tuesday, for the first time in the program’s six-year history, customers were unable to control their thermostats.
A customer noticed that a message on their thermostat said it couldn’t be adjusted due to an “energy emergency”.
“Usually when we see a message like this, we can cancel it,” Tony Talarico told KMGH-TV. “In this case, we weren’t. So our thermostat was locked at 78 or 79.”
Emmet Romine, vice president of customer solutions and innovation at Xcel, said the energy emergency involved an unexpected power outage in Pueblo, Colorado, as well as high temperatures and air conditioning usage.
“This is a voluntary program. “Let’s remember that this is something customers choose for themselves based on incentives.”
“So getting people involved in these programs helps everybody. It’s a little uncomfortable in the short run, but very beneficial,” he added.
9NEWS grants program members a one-time $100 enrollment credit plus an additional $25 each year.
While the event has garnered nationwide attention, some social media users are worried about the consequences of an energy company checking a home’s thermostat.
“This is the future of every American if we allow the interesting left to realize the Green New Deal.” tweeted out American Greatness Senior Fellow Ned Rune.
If we let the remaining weirdos make the Green New Deal happen, that’s every American’s future. https://t.co/3nPqNdXGJx
— Ned Ryun (@nedryun) September 1, 2022
“This is the reality of the Internet of Things. Soon companies and/or governments will be able to remotely disable anything you think you “own”. And this particular case is clearly related to the “smart grid”. tweeted out American Reformed Senior Fellow Aaron M. Wrenn.
This is the reality of the internet of things. Soon companies and/or governments will be able to remotely shut down everything you think you “own”. And in this particular case we are talking about a “smart grid”. https://t.co/MkduVy4k8i
— Aaron M. Renn (@aaron_renn) September 1, 2022
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at: @EthanLetkeman.
Source: Breitbart
