Smart Thermostat Program

Graham County Electric Cooperative (GCEC) is launching a new program!

GCEC is launching a program to help curb electricity use when demand for energy is highest, which keeps energy prices lower for all members. Participants get a free smart thermostat when they agree to allow GCEC to adjust the thermostat’s temperature for short amounts of time on these high-demand days.

Please know that GCEC will never turn off your thermostat! There will never be more than 30 adjustment events in a year, and you always have the ability to override the adjustment. And when you participate in at least 65% of the events, you’ll get an annual bill credit of $100.

Example winter and summer adjustment events are shown in the tables below. The start time of an event varies based on the condition of the electric grid and will never exceed 4 hours.

Example Winter Adjustment Event

Thermostat setting is at 68° and event begins at 5 a.m.

Time	Thermostat Setting
5 to 6 a.m.	Thermostat adjusts to 70°
6 to 7 a.m.	Thermostat adjusts to 66°
7 to 8 a.m.	Thermostat adjusts to 65°
8 to 9 a.m.	Thermostat adjusts to 64°
After 9 a.m.	Thermostat returns to 68°, event ends

Example Summer Adjustment Event

Thermostat setting is at 78° and event begins at 3 p.m.

Time	Thermostat Setting
3 to 4 p.m.	Thermostat adjusts to 76°
4 to 5 p.m.	Thermostat adjusts to 80°
5 to 6 p.m.	Thermostat adjusts to 81°
6 to 7 p.m.	Thermostat adjusts to 82°
After 7 p.m.	Thermostat returns to 78°, event ends

Enrolling in the Program

When you enroll in the GCEC smart thermostat program, you will receive:

An ecobee3 lite smart thermostat

Free installation by a licensed electrician

An annual bill credit of $100 for participating in at least 65% of annual adjustment events

Eligibility

To participate in the smart thermostat program, you must:

Be a GCEC member

Be the homeowner of the GCEC-served house

Sign a participation agreement

Have an internet-connected, Wi-Fi-enabled home

Participation Agreement

Participation Agreement and Release of Liability (PDF)

Homeowner Information

Address(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code

Name(Required)

First Last

Account Number(Required)

Phone(Required)

Email(Required)

Agreement and Consent(Required)

This Participation Agreement and Release of Liability is entered into this day of 2023, by and amongst the undersigned Homeowner, Graham County Electric Cooperative, Inc. (“GCEC”), and Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (“AEPCO”).

AEPCO and GCEC are implementing a Thermostat Program (“Program”) to utilize smart thermostats to reduce energy demand utilizing a proprietary software which is abetted by a third-party (“Resideo Energy Management”). Under the terms of the Program, Homeowner will receive a smart thermostat from GCEC at no cost to Homeowner. Homeowner thereafter may arrange for installation of the smart thermostat(s) through any licensed contractor of his, her, or its choice or may call upon one of the contractor’s approved by GCEC. If installation is undertaken by a contractor approved by GCEC, then the costs of installation will be paid by GCEC. Otherwise the costs of installation will be paid by Homeowner. Homeowner must have Wi-Fi internet service enabled and router password prior to installation by the contractor.

Homeowner acknowledges the Program is only available to homeowners and has represented that he, she, or it in fact owns his, her, or its home and has the requisite authority to enter into this Agreement. Homeowner further acknowledges that GCEC or AEPCO may cancel the program at any time. HOMEOWNER may cancel participation in the Program at any time by notifying GCEC in writing of his, her, or its choice to terminate Program participation. However, if Homeowner terminates participation in Program within the first 12-month period, GCEC reserves the right to recoup from Homeowner the cost of the thermostat and any installation expense if applicable.

Homeowner hereby acknowledges that by completing and submitting this document to GCEC, Homeowner is providing personal information, not otherwise known, to AEPCO and to Resideo Energy Management for the sole purpose of participation in the Program. Homeowner further acknowledges that Resideo Energy Management’s End User License Agreement or EULA also applies to the terms and conditions set forth in this agreement.

Homeowner hereby grants permission to AEPCO and/or GCEC to monitor and control Homeowner's thermostat once installed during high energy demand periods through the Homeowner's Wi-Fi system. However, the number of control events per year shall not exceed 30.

Homeowner retains the right to override such load control events. However, if Homeowner overrides or fails to be connected through Wi-Fi for more than 35% of the load control events during the first year following installation then Homeowner shall not receive any Program incentives provided to Homeowner by GCEC.

If GCEC or AEPCO determine that Homeowner has cooperated with demand control events with fewer than 35% overrides of the demand control events during the twelve month period of connection following installation and for each 12 month period thereafter, GCEC shall credit Homeowner's account with $100 credit.

Homeowner understands that while participation in the Program and the services provided hereunder is designed to alleviate high demand, the Program and the services may not result in a lower electric bill. Homeowner acknowledges that no warranties or guaranties concerning lower electric bills have been made or relied upon by Homeowner when electing to participate in the program.

Release

Homeowner hereby releases Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc., Graham County Electric Cooperative, Inc., and Resideo Energy Management from and against any and all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages, or losses to persons or property which may be sustained in connection with the Program and the services provided hereunder.

Homeowner agrees that any and all disputes which cannot be resolved between Homeowner and AEPCO and/or GCEC and any cause of action arising out of or connected with the services provided hereunder, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a court located in Arizona having jurisdiction. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will Homeowner be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, including reasonable attorneys’ fees. Further, Homeowner waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased pursuant to any statutory or common law provisions.

I hereby verify the information to be true and complete and agree to the terms and conditions. I understand that by typing my full name and pressing the Submit button, this form submission will be stamped with today’s date and authorized by me as if I had signed my signature.

Homeowner Electronic Signature (Full Name)(Required)

Name

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

FAQ’s

Smart Thermostat Program FAQs (PDF)

What happens after I submit the participation agreement?

You will receive a voucher for a new smart thermostat, including installation. Your contractor can come by and pick up the thermostat from GCEC and install it at your earliest convenience. After the installation, the vendor will turn the voucher into GCEC for payment.

When will I receive my smart thermostat?

Your installation will depend on your contractor’s schedule.

How much does the smart thermostat cost?

GCEC will cover the entire cost of the smart thermostat.

What if I am having trouble with my ecobee thermostat?

Please visit ecobee’s online support center or call ecobee support at (877) 932-6233. GCEC can adjust your thermostat during times of high energy demand only and cannot provide product support.

What types of smart thermostats are being offered?

GCEC is offering the ecobee3 lite thermostat, although other models may be offered in the future.

What if I already have a smart thermostat?

Right now, you can choose to receive an ecobee3 lite thermostat from GCEC and have it installed in place of your existing smart thermostat. However, GCEC may expand program enrollment in the future to members with existing smart thermostats, including certain models by ecobee, Honeywell, Emerson, and Nest.

What are GCEC-initiated adjustment events?

GCEC-initiated adjustment events occur when GCEC adjusts your thermostat’s set point to curb demand on the electric grid. Adjustment events are four hours long. In the first hour, GCEC will pre-cool or pre-heat your home. In hours two through four, GCEC will incrementally increase or decrease your thermostat’s set point from its regularly scheduled setting. See the table above. Please note that GCEC will not turn off your thermostat at any time.

When do GCEC-initiated adjustment events occur?

Adjustment events occur on high energy-demand days during winter or summer. Reducing electricity demand on these days helps to keep energy prices lower for all members.

How will I be notified of adjustment events?

GCEC will email you the day before or the day of an event.

How often do adjustment events occur?

Adjustment events may occur up to five times per month without exceeding 30 events per year. Up to two events may occur in the same week, possibly on successive days.

Why does GCEC want to control my thermostat?

GCEC is looking for an opportunity to reduce electricity demand on days when it’s coldest or hottest because it helps keep its energy prices lower for all members.

What if I don’t want GCEC to control my thermostat?

Participation is 100% voluntary. If you choose to enroll, you have the ability to opt out of up to 35% of event hours in a year – participating in 65% of the total event hours – and still earn a $100 bill credit. For example, if GCEC has 10 events in one year, each for the maximum of four hours, that’s 40 total event hours, and a participant would need to have participated in at least 26 of those hours to earn the bill credit. You can opt out of one hour at a time or an entire four-hour event – the choice is yours. But because we can’t predict the weather a year in advance, we encourage our participants to keep track of their control hours throughout the year.

Will I save energy by enrolling in the smart thermostat program?

A properly installed and configured ecobee smart thermostat has been shown to save up to 23% in heating and cooling costs during normal operation. Yet on days when adjustment events occur, more energy will be required to pre-cool or pre-heat your home and to return your home to its regularly scheduled set point after the adjustment event concludes. On event days, you may not save energy from having your thermostat adjusted.

How can I unenroll from the Smart Thermostat program?

You can unenroll from the program at any time by contacting GCEC. However, if you un-enroll within one year of your installation, you may be charged for the cost of the thermostat and installation.

Who can I contact if I have more questions?

Call GCEC at (928) 485-2451 and ask to speak with the smart thermostat program manager, or fill out the contact form on our website.