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-Signs, Portents, and the Weather-
Nanny State Test: CO Company Locks Thermostats of 22K Customers, Cites 'Energy Emergency'
2022-09-01
[PJMedia] For many Americans, the summer of 2022 has been a blistering hot and humid miserable existence. It’s just one of those years when one truly appreciates the comfort provided by something as simple as an air conditioning unit. How did we live without them?

But for some 22,000 Xcel Energy customers in Colorado who wanted to be a little more comfortable on Tuesday when the thermometer was pegged at 90+ degrees, a bizarre message flashed on their thermostats indicating they’d lost the ability to control the temperature in their own homes.

According to KMGH-TV, "Energy Emergency" was part of the message that flashed on thermostats as temperatures skyrocketed and Xcel customers desperately tried to crank the A/C.

"Temperature locked temporarily during energy emergency. Due to a rare energy emergency that may affect the local energy grid, your temperature slider has been changed from 8:00 pm — 8:00 pm because you enrolled in a Community Energy Savings Program," the full message read.

However, customers enrolled in the otherwise innocent-sounding "program," like Tony Talarico, had absolutely no idea they could lose full control of the ability to cool down their house during a nasty heat wave.

"Normally, when we see a message like that, we’re able to override it," Talarico said, according to KMGH-TV. "In this case, we weren’t. So, our thermostat was locked in at 78 or 79."

"To me, an emergency means there is, you know, life, limb, or, you know, some other danger out there — some, you know, massive wildfires," Talarico said. "Even if it’s a once-in-a-blue-moon situation, it just doesn’t sit right with us to not be able to control our own thermostat in our house," Talarico continued. The news outlet added that some customers’ homes reached a disgusting 88 degrees.

What a nightmare.

What was the "emergency" Xcel used to snatch away control from its customers? The company said it was due to an outage in Pueblo, Colo., combined with the heat wave and subsequent heavy use of air conditioning. One might assume a large energy company would have been prepared for some late summer heat.
Xcel has always been a shitty energy company. Glad I don't have to use them anymore now that I've moved out of the metro area.
Related:
Xcel Energy: 2020-08-05 Massive fire engulfing an apartment complex in Minnesota
Xcel Energy: 2008-09-01 St. Paul WoT update: Guard called out, 80 year old delegate beaten by terrorists.
Xcel Energy: 2008-08-04 Nader wins spot on California's presidential ballot
Posted by:DarthVader

#13  Born and raised in the ugly environs of San Diego. Pray for me


/it's really hot lately
Posted by: Frank G   2022-09-01 21:34  

#12  /\ Yeah, my first radio had hot vacuum tubes on a muggy Oklahoma night
Posted by: magpie   2022-09-01 20:48  

#11  ^1- I remember those days well. Patch screen doors. Fans, Grocery stores not air conditioned. Wood or coal heating. My problem was I had chicken pox in a mid summer heat spell. Milkman deliveries(best milk with cream on top). Ice block deliveries. Charles chips deliveries. Jewel Tea deliveries. I still wish they had returns on soda bottles or Green Stamps or even top value stamps.
Posted by: Dale   2022-09-01 16:25  

#10  Yeah! DEACON!
Posted by: illeagle    2022-09-01 14:58  

#9  Wonder if Deacon's woodstove has a controller?
Posted by: Skidmark   2022-09-01 13:58  

#8  Hey everyone, remember when we were called paranoid wackadoodles for even bringing up the possibility of remote monitored thermostats being controlled remotely?

And I thought ol' Governor Pooperlickin raised taxes to solve such infrastructure issues?
Posted by: swksvolFF   2022-09-01 12:20  

#7  #2 yes, the Internet of Things. Never allow the outside in as long as you can resist. That includes Alexia et al.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2022-09-01 11:53  

#6  So disconnect from a/c, leave hooked to company lines, install dumb t-stat from Ace or big box and go on merry way
Posted by: USN, Ret.   2022-09-01 11:46  

#5  
Electricity in your car = good
Electricity for AC = bad
Because shut up.
Posted by: Angstrom   2022-09-01 11:43  

#4  Just the beginning. Soon it will be locked to prevent global warming. Then brown outs due to all the "green" energy. Then because your social credit score is crap because you complained online.
Posted by: DarthVader   2022-09-01 10:39  

#3  But they signed up for cheap electricity, not some unexpected consequences!

Posted by: Bobby   2022-09-01 10:25  

#2  This is another reason I don't want all that "smart" stuff in my home.
Posted by: Chris   2022-09-01 10:23  

#1  I grew up in Oklahoma and south Alabama in the 50's and 60's. Temperatures were often in the mid to high 90's. No air conditioning. We delt with it.
Posted by: Deacon Blues   2022-09-01 10:16  

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