Degrees of Difference

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 

• 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 

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 

• Sensi Smart Thermostat 
• Sensi Touch Smart Thermostat

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.

They will only occur between May and October, when periods of high electricity demand are more likely. You can always opt out of the event by changing the temperature on your thermostat.

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.