Smart Thermostat FAQs for Business

OPPD’s Thermostat Program is a bring-your-own thermostat program, designed to reward business customers for saving energy when demand for electricity is high, using smart, Wi-Fi enabled thermostats. OPPD business customers who own a qualifying thermostat and enroll in the Thermostat Program can receive a one-time $100 credit on their OPPD bill. They can receive an additional $30 credit annually for their participation.

Our program supports a wide range of smart thermostats to fit a variety of business sizes.

You can check the compatibility of each thermostat brand on the following websites. 

• Ecobee:  https://www.ecobee.com/en-us/compatibility/thermostat/
• Sensi: https://sensi.copeland.com/en-us/support/compatibility
• Honeywell: https://www.honeywellhome.com/us/en/thermostat-wiring-compatibility/
• NEST: https://store.google.com/us/widget/compatibility/thermostat 

Participants can receive the one-time $100 bill credit within 90 days of signing up. They will receive the $30 annual bill credit in September. If you are on a Level Payment plan through OPPD, these credits will be applied to your normal level payment amount during the periods noted above.

Beyond the credits for enrollment, participating in the program helps to keep energy costs low during peak energy times and helps reduce strain on the electrical system.

No, customers that receive devices from any special OPPD-sponsored promotion are not eligible for the initial $100 credit.

Yes, all customers are eligible for the annual $30 bill credit for their participation in the program.

• Before each event you’ll get a proactive notification on your thermostat and app.
• Events will occur up to 15 days per year, between May–October excluding holidays
• Events will occur only on weekdays between 12 p.m. and 9 p.m. and last no more than 4 hours
• Only one event per day, and there will never be more than three events in a week
• Your Smart Thermostat may automatically adjust temperatures before and during an event to balance comfort and energy savings. If it gets too warm, you can manually adjust the temperature at any time.

If you currently have an eligible smart thermostat, you can enroll directly from your smart thermostat app or from our Smart Thermostat webpage at OPPD.com/SmbSmart.

Smart thermostats are a great way to help reduce energy usage throughout the year. In regard to our program, beyond the bill credits mentioned above, OPPD does not offer ongoing monthly bill credits through this program. Energy and cost savings from using a Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat vary by facility; please check with your thermostat manufacturer for any estimates.

Your smart thermostat will start pre-cooling your facility up to one hour prior to the event. Please note that each facility will perform differently based on your individual heating and cooling patterns and your facility's individual thermal properties.

Yes, as always, you will be notified of each event via your smart thermostat and app. In these events, your system will precool your facility for up to 1 hour before the event starts.

In rare cases, OPPD may initiate a critical event with a 10-minute notification window. In those cases, your system will not pre-cool your facility. Due to the urgent nature of the event, they may occur any day or time during the week including weekends.

Yes, your smart thermostat learns your comfort level and your facility's thermal envelope, or unique thermal properties. You are always in control, and you can change the temperature at any time.

When the Smart Thermostat event is over, your thermostat will return to its normal preferred schedule and settings.

Please email customerservice@oppd.com or call 402-536-4131 to be removed from the program. We do ask that you try the program for a year before withdrawing from the program.

To participate in our program, you will need to have all air conditioning units and/or thermostats enrolled. You can receive a one-time $100 bill credit for each thermostat as well as a $30 annual bill credit for each thermostat.

During program events, all thermostats will be managed to best suit your facility's comfort level and to meet the needs of the event.

• Ecobee: https://www.ecobee.com/en-us/installation/
• Sensi: https://sensi.copeland.com/en-us/support/sensi-manuals
• Honeywell: https://www.honeywellhome.com/us/en/support/air/thermostats/product-selector/manuals/
• NEST: https://support.google.com/googlenest/answer/9248184?hl=en&ref_topic=9361967

OPPD will only have access to your smart thermostat during events.

OPPD will adjust your thermostat prior to and during a program event.

Smart thermostats are available at many major retailers, heating and air conditioning contractors, hardware stores, select furniture stores, and more. You may also purchase online through the thermostat manufacturers or various distributors.

You are required to stay enrolled in the Smart Thermostat Program, have your thermostat connected to Wi-Fi, and have an active account with your thermostat manufacturer.

• Have an eligible smart thermostat model that is continuously connected to Wi-Fi.
• Have and maintain a working central air conditioner, heat pump or geothermal system.
• Have an active account with a qualified thermostat manufacturer and have the device linked to that account.
• Agree to the program terms and conditions.
• Remain enrolled for 12 months or risk forfeiting credits.
• Enroll utilizing same name on OPPD account.
• Renting your space? Landlord approval may be needed for equipment upgrades.

Yes. You may choose to opt out of a Smart Thermostat event any day via your phone app or thermostat.

OPPD’s Thermostat Program uses thermostats owned by the customer to help manage energy demand. Participating customers can receive a one-time $100 bill credit incentive and annual $30 participation credit.

OPPD’s HVAC Smart program offers customer rebates when you purchase a high-efficiency air conditioner or heat pump.

Yes, just fill out OPPD's landlord consent form and email it to SmartThermostat@oppd.com when enrolling your device.

The agreement between OPPD and the smart thermostat manufacturers does not permit them to share data from individual businesses or thermostats with OPPD. To be clear, OPPD is unable to obtain any information from the manufacturers related to a specific customer's thermostat run-times, set-points, there/away status, etc.

OPPD and the manufacturers only share specific customer details which are required to enroll the customer in the program and credit the customer’s account for participating. The data shared consists of: Thermostat(s) ID, number of thermostats, customer name, customer address (city, state, zip code) and email address.

Once the program enters the summer months (load control season), OPPD will receive aggregate (non-customer specific) reports from the smart thermostat manufacturers that provide information regarding participation statistics. Such statistics estimate the number of customers available to activate for load control and participation levels during the actual load control events.

Program manufacture partners and OPPD greatly value and respects their customer’s information.

OPPD is always evaluating market conditions and customer demands in an effort to continue to provide value to customers. If there is a particular thermostat manufacturer you would like to see added, please email customerservice@oppd.com.