By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-13 21:28:54 | Updated at 2026-08-13 23:24:01
8 hours ago
A Colorado woman was shocked when she tried to turn down her thermostat from a blistering 79 degrees, only to receive a warning from her energy company that the power grid was too stressed.
Xcel Energy has faced recent backlash over its Saver's Switch program, which credits customers $40 for allowing the company to automatically cycle out air conditioning during extremely hot days to conserve power grid capacity.
Kyri Baker, an assistant professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, told local NBC affiliate 9 News that she wanted to participate in the program to help the grid but now feels she is being penalized.
'I just wanted to set it to 75, something very reasonable so my daughter could fall asleep,' she told the outlet.
When she tried to adjust the thermostat, she was met with a message that said: 'To conserve energy in your community due to stress on the regional energy grid, you cannot set your temperature to be lower.'
Baker said she enrolled in the Saver's Switch program voluntarily but was unaware she could not adjust the thermostat, noting that the downstairs of her home was stuck at 80 degrees.
'It's literally not safe to have a utility not allow you to cool or heat your house to a certain degree,' she added.
As a professor of engineering, she argued that the experience has demonstrated the need for Colorado to update its energy grid rather than offering incentives for customers to reduce their energy use.
Kyri Baker shared that her thermostat was set at 79 degrees and she was unable to turn it down during a Colorado heat wave
Baker is an assistant professor of civil, environmental and architectural engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder and wanted to participate in the program to conserve energy
Baker was prompted with a message that she could not lower the temperature of her room due to 'stress on the regional energy grid'
Other customers have had similar problems. One customer shared on X that they received a message that their thermostat would be automatically adjusted by a few degrees on Monday from 5.40pm to 9.40pm.
Colorado experienced an extreme heat wave this past week. Denver International Airport reached 100 degrees on Saturday. Temperatures stayed in the 90s across parts of Colorado on Monday and Tuesday.
Xcel Energy explains on its website that Saver's Switch activates 'on a few hot summer days a year.'
When it activates, the air conditioner will be turned off for 15- to 20-minute intervals while the fan is on.
'Most customers don't even notice when Saver's Switch is activated. On control days, Saver's Switch is typically activated between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m,' Xcel says.
Dan Rasmussen, a marketing manager at the company, told 9 News that the program is a way for customers to receive a credit for allowing them to manage the grid.
He added that Xcel has received feedback that customers have struggled to opt out of some of its programs.
'We’ve actually heard that feedback and frustration as well. We take really seriously, and as a result we are changing up our approach to opt out to make it easier for customers and more clear on how to do that,' he said.
Customers have shared online text messages they have received from Xcel, prompting them to save energy
Xcel Energy launched a 'Saver's Switch' program to cycle customers' air conditioning off during hot summer days. Pictured above are the company's trucks fixing a power line
Customers participating in programs with Xcel have agreed to allow the company to automatically adjust their thermostats
Xcel has attempted to encourage customers to conserve electricity during heat waves by setting thermostats to at least 78 degrees and sending text notifications on 'Energy Action Days.'
On these days, customers receive voluntary requests to reduce electricity during peak demand.
However, some have complained that Xcel sends excessive messages that they cannot unsubscribe from.
'They’re just communication requests that we send out during times of peak demand just asking customers to make simple shifts in their energy use to reduce the peak demand of electricity,' Rasmussen said, adding that anyone can opt out.
Cities across the nation have struggled to combat rising temperatures with outdated energy grids.
In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani encouraged residents to set their thermostats to 78 degrees to help manage the grid.
'A stable grid means the AC stays on and lives are saved. Let's ease demand and get through the heat — together,' he wrote online during the city's July heat wave.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Xcel and Baker for additional comment.
