Smart Energy Discount issues from the personal view of a consumer.

These plans work by sending you notifications that they will be reducing your thermostat for you when there is an energy crunch.

Sounds good so far, here’s the issues I had:

• Let’s say you are a good consumer and let them change your thermostat to 85’F when it’s 100’F every single time… You saved… $5!!! and got to sweat profusely in your own home in the process.

• Let’s say you were working in the yard and come in sweaty amd needing to cool off. If you change that thermostat while they are in control of it, you lose your whole $5 for not just that day, but the entire billing cycle.

• Let’s say you want to exit the plan. Now you’re on the hook to wait on hold with your energy company for hours waiting for the one department and probably one person who can unenroll you. Chances are likely even then that they can screw it up and like in my case, both Google and my southern California electrical company claim ignorance anything was done wrong yet keep me enrolled.

In short and in summary: It’s a trap because the savings is far, far too small for the sacrifice.