Green Big Brother: remote control of Texans’ smart thermostats
Tom KirkmanIndependent Project Manager
Green Big Brother. Remote climate control of homes.
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Texas residents say the temperature on their ‘smart’ web-connected thermostats was changed without their permission after the state’s electricity operators had warned of another round of power shortages amid a heat wave.
The thermostats were raised to 78 degrees without their knowledge – sometimes even as families slept in the middle of the night.
Raising the temperature on the thermostat would cause an air conditioner to run less – therefore using less power.
The Big Brother temperature manipulation comes after the Texas energy grid failed this past winter when rolling blackouts left millions without power and 700 dead during February’s devastating winter storms. …