Some power companies are integrating with your smart thermostat and may pre-cool in some case. Example, APS in Arizona...
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During an event, how will my thermostat be adjusted?
At the start of an event, your thermostat temperature will be automatically adjusted up a few
degrees above the current temperature.
Each event will typically last an average of 2 hours, and will typically occur between 3 p.m. and 8
p.m. Events typically will not occur on holidays.
In some cases, your thermostat temperature may be adjusted down a few degrees prior to the
event to pre-cool the home and ensure your comfort during an event.
Once the event is over, your thermostat will return to its normal set point and/or schedule.
ComEd in Chicago can do this with Nest thermostats as well. At the time I had a Nest thermostat, they actually paid people to enable this. And I basically made back most of the cost of my Nest that way. (Before selling it off for a less cloud-connected thermostat.)
My electricity provider does the same. It's opt-in and you get a $200 credit at the end of the summer if you stay in the program. Pretty good deal, I think.
