Con Edison is offering a free programmable thermostat worth $300 -Any downside?

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  • #597007
    Ofcourse
    Member

    Con Edison is offering a free programmable thermostat that allows you to control the temperature in your home, religious institution or business, even when you’re not there.

    This thermostat will allow you to adjust the temperature manually or remotely via the internet or your mobile phone while providing an efficient use of energy when programming features are used.

    Some Real Benefits

    Manage your energy usage to fit your lifestyle

    Program your thermostat using the internet or your mobile phone

    Help to ensure reliable power to you and your community

    Help reduce air pollution

    Delay need for costly power delivery system upgrades

    Incentives

    You get a free Carrier programmable thermostat (valued at $300) and we’ll handle the installations, at no cost to you

    Residential or residential religious-rate customers will receive a thank you gift of $25 after the thermostat is installed

    Business customers will receive a gift of $50

    If you participate in our new summer pilot, you will receive an additional $25 (business customers will receive $50) at the end of the season

    Program Details

    Smart thermostats allow you to adjust settings using the internet or your mobile phone, from anywhere, and are equipped with programming features that maximize the efficiency of your central air-conditioning system. Smart thermostats also allow Con Edison to remotely adjust the amount of electricity your central air-conditioning system uses to help reduce the demand for energy. A signal similar to a pager and/or beeper will communicate with your central air-conditioning thermostat and will cycle your unit’s compressor on and off to reduce demand on our electric system. Your fan will continue to operate and circulate air. You can always override the adjustment if necessary.

    How the Program Works

    The Con Edison Central Air Conditioning Program will be called when Con Edison needs to reduce electricity use.

    The pilot will be called when the next day electricity usage is expected to reach 96% or more of the capacity of our power delivery system. We will pay you an additional $25 (business customers will receive $50) at the end of the season if you do not override our instruction to your thermostat during all of the events.

    Eligibility and Requirements

    Con Edison residential and religious-rate customers with central air-conditioning

    Con Edison business customers with central air-conditioning and a peak demand of less than 100kW

    Con Edison business customers of NYPA, NYCPUS, and COWPUSA may apply for the Installation Credit, but they may not participate in the summer pilot

    Only New York City customers can participate in the pilot

    To learn more about this program, please read the Con Edison tariff, Con Edison Service Classification Rider L.

    ___________________________________________________________________

    How would you decide whether to take them up on this offer?

    #768965
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    The downside is the following clause:

    Smart thermostats also allow Con Edison to remotely adjust the amount of electricity your central air-conditioning system uses to help reduce the demand for energy. A signal similar to a pager and/or beeper will communicate with your central air-conditioning thermostat and will cycle your unit’s compressor on and off to reduce demand on our electric system.

    That means they can shut off your A/C whenever they want. You wouldn’t want that to happen on Shabbos, and imagine if they shut it off at the beginning of a three day yom tov!

    #768966
    Pac-Man
    Member

    Presumably, they can turn it back on automatically, much as they can shut it off automatically. It appears to only be relevant to central air systems.

    #768967
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    They are trying to save energy to prevent a blackout, so they wouldn’t want to turn it back on.

    Yes, only central A/C.

    #768968
    Ofcourse
    Member

    Smart thermostats also allow Con Edison to remotely adjust the amount of electricity your central air-conditioning system uses to help reduce the demand for energy.

    Id love for Con Edison to clarify to what extent they can “adjust” the amount of electricity.

    #768969
    wanderingchana
    Participant

    There is no way I’d sign up for something that requires I give up control of my abode. I’d rather pay out of pocket.

    #768970
    yoyo56
    Member

    my parents also were aofered this but the reason they didnt go through with it because then con ed will shut it off or will disrupt the usage due to the fact that so many others are using

    when its really hot and everyone is using their air there is a chance they will shut it off periodicly and it can happen at any time

    i dont recommend it at alll!!!!!!!!

    #768971
    Pac-Man
    Member

    Does it allow the owner to override ConEd? So if ConEd turns it off, can you turn it back on, or must you wait for ConEd to allow you to?

    #768972
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    Does it allow the owner to override ConEd? So if ConEd turns it off, can you turn it back on, or must you wait for ConEd to allow you to?

    You can turn it back, but it’s a problem for Shabbos and Yom Tov.

    #768973
    toomuch00
    Member

    My parents got these installed lasy year. As far as i know, they never actually “turned off” our a/c. I think they mostly only control if it for example theres a blackout/brownout; so then they lower the amount of power so you have to keep lowering the degrees for the house to get cool… but otherwise they never actually turn off your power whenever they want.

    #768974
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    I think they mostly only control if it for example theres a blackout/brownout

    Which is on the hottest days of the year, when you most need it.

    #768975
    ItcheSrulik
    Member

    In theory you can replace your programmable thermostat with the old one every erev shabbos but I doubt it’s worth the hassle.

    #768976
    bezalel
    Participant

    Here are some entries from ConEd’s FAQ page.

    Q: Will Con Edison turn off my air conditioner?

    A: No. We will only cycle the compressor on and off. Your fan will continue to operate and you may not even notice that your air conditioner has been adjusted.

    Q: When will Con Edison adjust my air-conditioning?

    A: Typically, the adjustment will not last longer than five hours. And you can override the adjustment if you need to.

    Q: How will Con Edison adjust my air-conditioning system?

    A: We will send a radio signal page to your thermostat to cycle your compressor off and on. Con Edison will not shut off your central air conditioner. Your fan will continue to operate, so that air can continue to circulate, and you may not feel a temperature change.

    Q: How will I know that my air conditioner has been adjusted?

    Q: How warm will my place get?

    A: You may not even notice that your air conditioner has been adjusted. At most, the temperature may increase three or more degrees. After the curtailment event, your temperature will quickly return to its set temperature.

    Q: How do I override Con Edison’s adjustment?

    A: You simply use the temperature down adjustment button which is the lower of the two buttons located on the far bottom right of the thermostat. Press the down button until the curtailment message that appears on your thermostat disappears and you will no longer be under the Con Edison adjustment.

    #768977
    Homeowner
    Member

    Q: How warm will my place get?

    A: You may not even notice that your air conditioner has been adjusted. At most, the temperature may increase three or more degrees. After the curtailment event, your temperature will quickly return to its set temperature.

    And if you believe this, I have a bridge to sell you.

    #768978
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    At most, the temperature may increase three or more degrees.

    But not more than more than three degrees.

    #768979
    zahavasdad
    Participant

    I have a programmable thermonstat (not from Con Ed)

    and the biggest headache is it runs on BATTERIES and if the batteries go dead, you get NO HEAT (I dont have central AC, but the AC wouldnt work either)

    It always seems the batteries go dead on shabbos and a super cold shabbos that the house freezes (Ive seen the tempature in the house drop to the 40’s if I dont change the batteries ASAP)

    #768980
    ☕ DaasYochid ☕
    Participant

    It always seems the batteries go dead on shabbos

    Probably about once every seven times. ?

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