Degrees of Difference programs Degrees of Difference programs Degrees of Difference programs

Degrees of Difference programs

Help conserve electricity and save money by joining one of our Degrees of Difference programs. Choose the program that’s right for you based on whether you have a smart thermostat or a manual thermostat.

Enroll today
Degrees of Difference programs Degrees of Difference programs

Degrees of Difference programs

Help conserve electricity and save money by joining one of our Degrees of Difference programs. Choose the program that’s right for you based on whether you have a smart thermostat or a manual thermostat.

Get a $25 bill credit for enrolling in the Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program1 — here’s how it works:

When electricity demand is high, your smart thermostat will notify you of a Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program event and automatically adjust to help you conserve electricity without lifting a finger.2 Rest assured, you’re always in control and can change the temperature at any time. 

Save electricity the easy way with Reliant and Google Nest

Join with Google Nest

Sign up with Reliant and Honeywell Home

Join with Honeywell Home

Sign up with Reliant and Emerson Sensi

Join with Emerson Sensi

Don’t have a smart thermostat? No problem.

Here’s how our Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program works3

 

When you enroll in the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program, you’ll receive bill credits of $0.60 per kWh for using less electricity than normal during specified reduction periods

We’ll notify you when peak electricity usage times are expected and ask you to reduce your electricity usage

Make small changes like adjusting your thermostat and holding off on high-usage appliances to conserve electricity 

Enroll with a manual thermostat

Degrees of Difference programs FAQs

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The Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program allows customers with an eligible smart thermostat from Google Nest, Honeywell Home or Emerson Sensi to conserve electricity automatically during periods of high demand. Plus, you’ll get a one-time $25 bill credit for joining.

The Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program allows customers without a smart thermostat to earn bill credits of $0.60 per kWh for making small changes to use less electricity during requested periods of high demand.

Yes, events happen year-round on both the Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program and the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program. However, events are more likely to happen during the summer and winter months when electricity demand is particularly high.

You can opt out of a Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program event at any time, and choose whether to participate in any Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program event.

Events can last up to 4 hours on both the Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program and Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program.

During periods of high electricity demand, a participating smart thermostat will automatically tweak temperatures no more than 4 degrees to balance electricity savings and comfort. Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program events can last up to 4 hours, but you can change the temperature on your thermostat at any time. Plus, you’ll receive a one-time award of 250 Reliant Rewards points for enrolling in the Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program.

During the year, usually in the summer and winter months when electricity demand is anticipated to be high, your smart thermostat will automatically adjust a few degrees to decrease your air conditioning or heater runtime to conserve electricity. This is known as a Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program event. This small change is good for 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 with Smart Thermostats Program event starts. 

You can choose to change the temperature and opt out of any Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program event at any time.

Plus, you’ll receive a one-time $25 bill credit for enrolling in the Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program.

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. A smart electric meter is also required.

If you have more than one eligible smart thermostat, you can enroll each one to participate in Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program events. 

Eligible smart thermostats include: 

Google Nest 

  • Nest Learning Thermostat (all generations) 
  • Nest Thermostat 
  • Nest Thermostat E 

Honeywell 

  • 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 
  • Wi-Fi 9000 
  • T9 Pro Smart Thermostat
  • T10 Pro Smart Thermostat
  • T5+ Pro Smart Thermostat
  • T6 Pro Smart Thermostat
  • Round Smart Thermostat

You must set up your smart thermostat using the free Honeywell Total Connect Comfort app in order to register your device in the Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program. 

Emerson 

  • Sensi Smart Thermostat 
  • Sensi Touch Smart Thermostat

Depending on your smart thermostat, notifications may appear on the smart thermostat display or in its mobile app when a Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program 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 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 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 the event will end. The same information is available in the Sensi app.

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 smart thermostat will return to its regular schedule after the Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program event has ended.

You can override the modified temperatures at any point by changing the temperature directly on your smart thermostat or in its app. Your smart thermostat will keep the temperatures you set and then return to your regular schedule.

No. Your participation in either the Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program or the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program will 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. You will receive bill credits of $0.60 per kWh for using less electricity than normal during the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program events.3

Reliant will use email to communicate essential program information to you. The Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program will alert you to upcoming periods of high electricity demand so you can manually reduce your electricity usage. Degrees of Difference with Manul Thermostats Program events can last up to 4 hours, but your participation is completely voluntary. During these high-demand hours, simply adjust your thermostat and hold off on high-electricity usage activities like running the dishwasher, washer, dryer or pool pump, and you can earn Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program bill credits of $0.60 for each kWh reduced. 

We review your electricity usage kWh during the five previous weekdays before the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program event and average the electricity usage kwh during the same hours to establish your typical electricity usage kWh. Then, Reliant compares your typical electricity usage kWh to the electricity usage kWh during the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program event. If this method shows a reduction of 1 kWh or more, you will receive a Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program bill credit of $0.60 per kWh for using less electricity than typical during the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program event.

We will email a request for electricity usage reduction when we anticipate that the demand for electricity will be high compared to the amount of available generation. The situations that cause Reliant to request customers to reduce electricity usage are typically unexpected (for example, a significant change in the weather forecast or an unplanned outage of generation), so we usually have limited advance notice. This means we can’t send an event notice two or three days before an event, because we cannot determine that far in advance that an electricity usage reduction will be needed.

The Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program bill credit will appear on your Reliant bill within two billing cycles.

No special thermostat or equipment is required other than a smart electric meter.

A few days after a Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program event, you’ll receive an email summarizing your electricity usage amount and any bill credit that you earned for conserving electricity.

Here are a few ways to reduce your electricity usage:

  •  In the hour prior to the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program event, you can precool (in summer) or preheat (in winter if you have electric heat) your home by adjusting the thermostat temperature. 
  • During the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program event, adjust your thermostat setting by four degrees.
  • If you have a swimming pool, turn off the pool pump during the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program event.
  • Postpone using your electric washer or dryer until after the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program event. 
  • During a Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program event, use a microwave oven — which is a lower-electricity usage appliance — instead of a stovetop or conventional electric oven.

1 Reliant electricity customers who enroll in the Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program will receive a one-time $25 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 the Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program. Bill credit is not redeemable for cash; the Reliant electricity account must be active at the time of credit award to receive credit. Offer applies to new Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program participants only and is not available to individuals enrolled in the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program. Recurring bill credits available to participants in the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program are not available to participants in the Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program.

2 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 prepaid electricity plans. Must be enrolled in the 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 Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program (including termination of bill credits under the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program).

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 prepaid electricity plans. Participants in the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program are eligible to receive bill credits equal to $0.60 per kWh for electricity usage reductions during specified reduction periods. Reliant determines a participant’s usage reduction by comparing actual kWh usage during the hours of requested reduction to the participant’s typical usage. The assessment of typical usage is based on the same time of day over the five prior weekdays. Participants with a usage reduction will receive a bill credit within 2 billing cycles. Bill credit is not redeemable for cash; the Reliant electricity account must be active at the time of credit award to receive credit. One-time bill credit available to participants in the Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program is not available to participants in the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program. Reliant reserves the right to discontinue or change the Degrees of Difference with Smart Thermostats Program and/or the Degrees of Difference with Manual Thermostats Program without notice.

Reliant is not affiliated with Google, Honeywell Home or Emerson Sensi or the products and services they market. Google Nest and Google Nest Thermostat are trademarks of Google LLC. Honeywell Home is a trademark of Honeywell International Inc. Emerson and Sensi are trademarks of Emerson Electric Co.