Degrees of Difference
Reliant wants to reward you for saving energy! When electricity demand is high, the Degrees of Difference program will use your thermostat to help you conserve energy and potentially save you money. Joining either program below is free and easy!
Degrees of Difference
Reliant wants to reward you for saving energy! When electricity demand is high, the Degrees of Difference program will use your thermostat to help you conserve energy and potentially save you money. Joining either program below is free and easy!
Join the Degrees of Difference with smart thermostats program1 and get a $25 bill credit.2
When electricity demand is high, your smart thermostat will notify you of a Degrees of Difference event and automatically adjust to help you conserve without lifting a finger. Rest assured, you're always in control and can change the temperature at any time.
Save energy the easy way with Reliant and Google Nest
Sign up with Reliant and Honeywell Home
Sign up with Reliant and Emerson Sensi
Join the manual thermostats program3 and receive bill credits of $0.60 per kWh for using less electricity than normal during specified reduction periods.4
We'll notify you when peak energy usage days are expected and ask you to reduce your usage. Make small changes like adjusting your thermostat and holding off on high-usage appliances to conserve energy.
During periods of high electricity demand, a participating smart thermostat will automatically tweak temperatures no more than 4 degrees to balance energy savings and comfort. Degrees of Difference events can last up to 4 hours, but you can change the temperature on your thermostat at any time.
During peak summer and winter months when electricity demand is anticipated to be high, your smart thermostat automatically adjusts a few degrees to decrease your AC runtime and conserve energy. This is known as a Degrees of Difference event. This small change is good for you, your wallet and the local community.
To participate, you must connect your eligible smart thermostat to Wi-Fi and sign up for the Degrees of Difference with smart thermostats program using the links above. Once you do, your smart thermostat and its app will let you know when a Degrees of Difference event starts.
During a Degrees of Difference event, your thermostat will automatically adjust temperatures to save electricity while keeping you comfortable. But you can choose to change the temperature and opt out of that particular event at any time.
An eligible smart thermostat from Google Nest, Honeywell Home or Emerson Sensi is required to participate in the Reliant Degrees of Difference with smart thermostats program along with Wi-Fi and an active account with your smart thermostat’s app.
If you have more than one eligible thermostat, you can enroll each one to participate in Degrees of Difference events.
Eligible smart thermostats include:
Google Nest
Honeywell
You must set up your thermostat using the free Honeywell Total Connect Comfort app in order to register your device in the Degrees of Difference program.
Emerson
Depending on your thermostat, notifications may appear on your thermostat and in its mobile app when a Degrees of Difference event is in progress. During the event, your smart thermostat will adjust your target temperature by no more than 4 degrees. You can override these automatic adjustments at any time if you choose. Your thermostat will return to its regular schedule after the Degrees of Difference event has ended.
Yes. And, as a Reliant customer, you can enjoy special pricing if you buy one through the Reliant Smart Home Store.
A Degrees of Difference event can last up to 4 hours.
Depending on your thermostat, notifications may appear on the thermostat or in its mobile app when a Degrees of Difference event is in progress.
Google Nest: A gold gear icon will appear on the display of your Google Nest thermostat and your Nest app to let you know that an energy event is now taking place.
Honeywell: You will receive an Energy Savings Event notification in the Total Connect Comfort app to let you know that an energy event is taking place.
Emerson Sensi: On the Sensi thermostat, if you're currently in an event, you'll see "Active Savings Event" on the thermostat display, along with the time that event will end. The same information is available in the Sensi app.
You can override the modified temperatures at any point by changing the temperature directly on your smart thermostat or in its app. Your thermostat will keep the temperatures you set and then return to your regular schedule.
Yes, however, events are more likely to happen during summer and winter months when electricity demand is particularly high. You can always opt out of the event by changing the temperature on your thermostat.
Your participation in the Degrees of Difference with smart thermostats program does not affect your current Reliant electricity plan.
The Reliant Degrees of Difference with manual thermostats program allows customers to earn Degrees of Difference bill credits by using less electricity during requested periods of high demand on the electric grid.
Reliant will use email to communicate essential program information to you. The Degrees of Difference program will alert you to upcoming periods of high electricity demand so you can reduce your usage. During these high-demand hours, simply adjust your thermostat and hold off on high-usage activities like running the dishwasher, washer, dryer or pool pump, and you can earn Degrees of Difference bill credits.
Your participation doesn’t affect your current Reliant electricity plan.
We review your usage during the requested reduction hours and compare it to previous weekdays to establish your typical usage. Reliant will determine your usage reduction by comparing actual kWh usage during the hours of the requested reduction to your typical usage for that time of day. This typical usage is the average usage at that time over the prior five weekdays. If this method shows a reduction of 1 kWh or more, you will receive a Degrees of Difference bill credit of $0.60 per kWh for using less electricity than normal during high demand hours.
We send a request for usage reduction when we anticipate that demand for electricity will be high compared to the amount of available generation. The situations that cause Reliant to request customers to reduce usage are typically unexpected (for example, a significant change in the weather forecast or an unplanned outage of generation), so we usually have only one day of advance notice. This means we can't send an event notice two or three days before an event, because we cannot tell that far in advance that a usage reduction will be needed.
The bill credit will appear on your Reliant account within two billing cycles.
No special thermostat or equipment is required other than a smart meter.
A few days after the requested reduction period, you’ll receive an email summarizing the usage reduction amount and any bill credit that you earned.
Here are a few ways to reduce your usage:
1 Eligible Google Nest thermostats include: Nest Learning Thermostat (all generations), Nest Thermostat and Nest Thermostat E. Eligible Emerson thermostats include: Sensi™ Wi-Fi Programmable Thermostat and Sensi Touch Wi-Fi Thermostat. Eligible Honeywell Home thermostats include: VisionPRO 8000 with RedLINK Gateway, VisionPRO 8000 Smart, 9000 Smart, Prestige IAQ, Wi-Fi FocusPRO 6000, Wi-Fi 7-Day Programmable, Wi-Fi 7-Day Programmable Touchscreen, Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat and Wi-Fi 9000, T9 Pro Smart Thermostat, T10 Pro Smart Thermostat, T5+ Pro Smart Thermostat, T6 Pro Smart Thermostat and Round Smart Thermostat..
Degrees of Difference with smart thermostats program is not available to customers enrolled in pre-paid plans. Must be enrolled in Degrees of Difference with smart thermostats program and have an eligible smart thermostat connected to Wi-Fi. Program terms and conditions apply. Enrollment in the Degrees of Difference with smart thermostats program will result in the termination of any existing enrollment in the manual Degrees of Difference program (including termination of bill credits).
2 Reliant electricity customers who enroll in Degrees of Difference with smart thermostats using the Reliant app between April 3 and May 31, 2023, will receive a one-time $50 bill credit, which will be applied to the Reliant electricity account enrolled within 2 billing cycles. Offer does not apply to customers receiving smart thermostats pre-provisioned for Degrees of Difference. Not redeemable for cash; Reliant electricity account must be active at time of credit award to receive credit.
3 The Degrees of Difference with manual thermostats program is not available to customers participating in the Degrees of Difference with smart thermostats program. Must have an active Reliant electricity account to participate; not available to customers on pre-paid plans. The $50 bill credit does not apply to the Degrees of Difference with manual thermostats program.
4 Reliant determines a participant’s usage reduction by comparing actual kWh usage during the hours of requested reduction to the participant’s typical usage for that time of day during the same time of day over the prior five weekdays. Participants with a usage reduction will receive a bill credit within 2 billing cycles. Not redeemable for cash; Reliant electricity account must be active at time of credit award to receive credit.
Reliant reserves the right to discontinue or change this program without notice. Reliant is not affiliated with Google, Honeywell Home or Emerson Sensi or the products and services they market. Google Nest and Rush Hour Rewards are trademarks of Google LLC. Honeywell Home is a trademark of Honeywell International Inc. Emerson and Sensi are trademarks of Emerson Electric Co.