1984 - Big Brother Obama

h/t to Father Richtsteig

Bill Would Forbid Mandatory Thermostat Control

By: BRADLEY J. FIKES - Staff Writer | Thursday, March 6, 2008 11:31 PM PST

Home control of thermostats would be guaranteed under a new bill introduced in the state Legislature...

The California Energy Commission attempted earlier this year to mandate so-called "programmable communicating thermostats" in new and substantially remodeled homes. Utilities seeking to cut power consumption as shortages developed could have used a remote control device in the thermostat to override customer control. The device would not have been removable by the customer...

"The intent of the bill is to assure that unelected bureaucrats can't become so intrusive as to seek to monitor and control personal decisions like what temperature we can set our thermostats," McClintock said...

• Bill Would Forbid Mandatory Thermostat Control

California Wants to Control Home Thermostats

The conceit in the 1960s show "The Outer Limits" was that outside forces had taken control of your television set.

Next year in California, state regulators are likely to have the emergency power to control individual thermostats, sending temperatures up or down through a radio-controlled device that will be required in new or substantially modified houses and buildings to manage electricity shortages.

The proposed rules are contained in a document circulated by the California Energy Commission, which for more than three decades has set state energy efficiency standards for home appliances, like water heaters, air conditioners and refrigerators.

The changes would allow utilities to adjust customers' preset temperatures when the price of electricity is soaring. Customers could override the utilities' suggested temperatures. But in emergencies, the utilities could override customers' wishes.

Final approval is expected next month.

• Link