So - this isn't really a home maintenance question but not sure where else to put it.
I received a flyer yesterday from TXU for a new item called the iThermostat. This appears to be super cool considering it will allow me to adjust my thermostat and view my homes temperature remotely. I know there are some thermostats out there that do this and my house actually has one that can be set for different times of the day but to be honest it hasn't worked right since i bought the house - although thats not a real problem.
i love the fact that i can see this on the internet from work and it'll tell me my current home temp and I can make adjustments throughout the day as needed. It'll also give me a weekly recap of the electricity that I used and help me better plan for the next bill or give me an opportunity to reduce energy usage before my next bill arrives. Lastly there is a statement in the flyer that brings up a question - it says TXU will also have the capabilities in peak hours to temp. cycle the unit off to help conserve energy - they won't shut the electicity off in the entire house just temp cycle the AC/Heat. Not sure how i feel about this - although they do say that i would have the capability to override the cycle.
My question is - anyone have any experience with this - any thoughts or opinions if you received the flyer - i'm not a spokes person for TXU so i don't have many details - mainly i'm looking to see if anyone else received this and what your opinion is.
We have friends that enrolled in the program and within a month wanted out. The cycling of their A/C by TXU was their biggest complaint. TXU shut their A/C off for 10-15 minutes every half hour during "peak" periods. Those "peak" periods stared anywhere from 2p and lasted up until 9p on some nights. TXU says it is only cycles on weekdays but it happened to them on the weekends also - esp. during our long 100 degree days spell. They could always overwrite it but it's a pain to constantly be changing your temp back. In the end, it might have saved them some money and seemed like a really neat techie toy to her husband but they switched back to the old school adjustable thermostat that they manually adjust. You will have to sign a 2 year contract and pay $150 to get out of it if you don't like it so make sure you're committed before you sign on.
My daughter and son in law had someone from this program come to their house last week and install the new thermostat. They love the way they can track their usage and change the thermostat from the living room or work or whatever. Since it was just last Monday I can't tell you more about it but they usually research everything extensivly. Good luck.
We have it and love it. TXU came out and install it about 4 or 5 months ago. We are in N. Richland Hills and have never had them cycle us off, at least that I have noticed. Our electric bill has dropped a little. We are moving next week and I have to call them to see if they can move it or what needs to be done. Good luck!