Energy company locks thermostats at +80 degrees for 22,000 customers during ‘energy crisis’

[Raido Free America]

I know that the Power Company can turn one's power off and on through the digital meter, but I'm not aware of their ability to throttle the flow to a lower level. IOW, that they can limit the amount of power per unit of time.

Can they actually throttle the power so you can pull, say, only so many watts or amps at a time?

Which would have to be done to limit AC use without access to a wifi thermostat.

Do you know something I don't? (Entirely likely)

Can you provide something that I can read to see if that is available to OG&E?

Starving the AC compressor of the power needed to start andcx run efficiently would damage it, wouldn't it?

 

[DirtyLarry79]

I’d be investing in a couple window units

 

[El Pablo]

BTW, this is coming to Oklahoma, especially if you have a smart hours or nest wifi thermostat. They all have wifi back doors for others to adjust your temp. Someday you will not have had to sign up for smart hours.

WiFi back doors… What do you think that means?

Simple fix, disconnect thermostat, install new thermostat.

 

[El Pablo]

I’d be investing in a couple window units

Investing in a different thermostat would be much cheaper.

 

[El Pablo]

Just my two cents on the article, complete BS, why, because these customers signed up for that service. They took a cheaper electricity rate in turn for allowing the electric company to control their power

Yeah, read the freaking contract before signing up. I just annoyed the dealership because I read contracts before signing them.

 

[chuter]

A simple thermostat I could hook up, but I've got a heat pump. I haven't looked at it closely but I know there's a lot more wires behind the thermostat now than for a simple AC system.
Maybe it's not as bad as I'm thinking and I could hook up a basic one in a jam.

 

[El Pablo]

A simple thermostat I could hook up, but I've got a heat pump. I haven't looked at it closely but I know there's a lot more wires behind the thermostat now than for a simple AC system.
Maybe it's not as bad as I'm thinking and I could hook up a basic one in a jam.

A basic one wouldn’t work for you. You probably have 6 wires.

 

[chuter]

A basic one wouldn’t work for you. You probably have 6 wires.

Maybe I should just buy a non-smart heat pump thermostat to keep on hand, my current one's not smart.

 

[HoLeChit]

WiFi back doors… What do you think that means?

Simple fix, disconnect thermostat, install new thermostat.

I hate to burst everyone’s bubble, but our evil electrical overlords aren’t going to hire an army of unethical hackers to break through into our home Wi-Fi networks, adjust our thermostats to reduce our bills a few bucks each day, and then laugh at our misery. Not only is it logistically impossible, it’s extremely illegal and makes zero sense from a business standpoint.

The people who are experiencing this thermostat adjustment previously signed an agreement and had a special thermostat installed.

 

[Foxfire5]

I foresee a run on window units.

I foresee 12 gauge Shotguns loaded with Rock Salt at Company headquarters!!