Alexa TURN OFF THE HEAT! ...'the heat is off'... but it's not.

[CJK860]

First, I spoke with Google Nest support about this issue and as expected, they put me on hold for 5 minutes to research the issue and hung up on me.  That seems to be a trend in customer service these days.  

But anyway, So i can use Alexa to control all aspects of the Nest Learning Thermostat.  I can turn it on, i can change the temperature, but when I ask it to turn off the heat, it does not.  The Nest app shows it as off, Alexa thinks it's off, but the thermostat on the wall is clearly on and set to whatever temperature it should be and it's lit orange indicating the furnace is running.  It never used to do this and use to work fine.  

[Daysprung]

Why will they not acknowledge this issue? It's turning my "smart" home into a dumb home home.

[bshep53]

Following. Same result here but I use Hubitat with a link to google to turn off the thermostat if my sliding glass door is open. This has worked since setup in early 2021. Hubitat shows off and the nest app shows off but the thermostat says heat set to 71. I'll try the eco work around for now but this is frustrating. 

[Smokeyham]

Thanks for bring this up and for all of the responses, especially the work around to set "Eco" to be off for both heating and cooling and then to ask Alexa to set the thermostat to Eco to achieve the off the status.

I agree with everyone else that this is very frustrating and that a solution really should have been found by now 

[GumbyPW]

If you are familiar with routines, you can make 1 like this

Create a routine called thermostat off
when you say "set thermostat to off"
or whatever you choose to use as the phrase
next enter Alexa's "custom command" at the top of the menu and type "set thermostat to eco"
and from device you speak to. if you have more than 1 Alexa device

she will respond "thermostat set to economy setting" but you'll know that for all intent that means it's off 

[olivia717]

I thought it was just me! So annoying!! 

[cvg2005]

Same issue here. Happy to find this thread but annoyed it’s been unaddressed after a month. It can’t be an Alexa issue since my nest app shows it’s off as well, and Alexa has nothing to do with that app. Its wasting energy left and right.

[Fofer]

Correction: it’s been almost two months.

This bug is a direct result of a change Nest/Google made, and they not only have they not officially acknowledged it, their CSR’s are still incorrectly blaming Amazon for it! Absolutely pathetic.

I removed my Nest 3rd Gen last week and switched to Ecobee Smart. It’s a better thermostat in every way, and not only does it work perfectly with Google Assistant, but Siri and Alexa too. Google should be ashamed. I won’t be buying any more Nest/Google smarthome gear, ever, because it’s very clear they don’t care at all about interoperability, and in fact are user-hostile about it.

[Lo2]

I solved it by digging out my old google minis and installing them again. You can say “hey google turn off heat” and it happily obliges unlike Alexa!

[Poleman]

Well Alexa is not working with nest property for months, still no one saying a **bleep**.

[AlexaNest]

This looks to be working again.

[Smokeyham]

Yes....  Working for me as well.   Glad to see this working again!

[rastajaguares]

Not sure if it was Amazon or Google or God all mighty himself, but it looks like the issue is resolved at least for me, I can turn the thermostat on and off using Alexa, test and see if you guys can too

[GumbyPW]

Very Cool.............. 😏

[GumbyPW]

Very happy to see it now works 1/24/22. But for me, I will keep my workaround in my Alexa routines but disabled so I can just re-instate it if needed later

[AlexaNest]

Well it was briefly working again, but now Alexa is replying with, "Home doesn't support that."

Update: Actually it does work, but I can no longer say "Alexa turn off the heat."  I need to say things like "Alexa set the thermostat to off." or "Alexa set the thermostat to heat."

[GumbyPW]

You can create routines using any phrase you want to control things. Like when you say (to be silly) "Alexa, walk the dog" then choose add action and choose custom then type in the command you would need to say to make it happen like "set thermostat to off". When you say "Alexa, walk the dog" she will set your thermostat to off & tell you thermostat is off. Custom commands are awesome.

[AlexaNest]

Hi, I looked in the Alexa routines but it appears you can only turn the fan on/off or set a temperature for the Nest thermostat.  Am I missing something?

[GumbyPW]

Have you enabled the google nest app & linked your accounts?

Any command you can do by voice, you can do with a routine.

Go to routines, click the + at the top right of the screen to add a routine

Name it whatever you want

click "when this happens" & choose voice. Type whatever you want to say to her to get the action you want, like "Turn the heat off" below where you are typing you can add additional phrases like "shut the heat off" I'm not sure how many phrases can be added, but several if needed any 1 of which she will respond to & click next

Then add action & choose "Custom" Here is where you need to type the command exactly as you would need to say it, like "set the thermostat to off"

If you have more than 1 echo device you need to tell her which device to respond from, usually you would tell her to respond from the 1 spoken to. Save the routine & you should be done.

Let me know how it works out. Or if you have  more questions. I'm just a 71 yo crippled dude, but happy to help if I can

[AlexaNest]

Ah, that makes sense.  I was just choosing the action from the default list provided, not typing in alternative text.  Thank you!

[GumbyPW]

No worries

[GumbyPW]

Additionally, without making any routine. While thermostat is in heating or cooling mode you can just tell her "it's hot in here" or "it's cold in here" & she will adjust the temp by 2 deg & tell you what it is set to

[JoeSpiegel]

I noticed a couple of days ago that Alexa could no longer turn off my Nest Learning Thermostat the (fanciest one). I started researching and trouble shooting. I removed old Yonomi scenes as it no longer controls the Nest. I removed every occurrence I found inside Alexa that pointed to Yonomi for the Nest. Still not working. Thanks to GumbyPW it’s working again but it now rests in a restricted Eco mode instead of being off. Effectively the same but it works.

so it still is a fail in September 2022. I’m not sure why mine took a year more to fail? 

[GumbyPW]

On Jan 2022 my nest thermostat started accepting the command "set thermostat to off" again & I no longer needed that work around. I just turned that routine off to just disable it so I can turn it back on at a later date if needed. Weird your having that problem now, but glad my work around has helped you out to some degree

[JoeSpiegel]

I don’t get why I’m a year late to the party. It’s been relatively stable until recently. Thanks for your fix/workaround.

[JoeSpiegel]

On a related note. I really have wanted to ditch my Nest Thermostat since Google announced they were ditching Alexa. My issue is the Nest came with a wall plate to mount on the electrical box that I have in my wall where the original thermostat was mounted and all the upgrades I did through the Nest. Well, nobody includes a mounting plate like the Nest included, do they still include it? Any way, I need that and had no idea it wasn’t a normal inclusion or purchasable option. I actually bought an Ecobee only to find no such option. Does anybody have a mounting solution for other brands? I have essentially air behind the plate so serendipity brought me to the Nest but now I’m trapped. I don’t want to fabricate something, I’d like a clean install like I have now with a cover plate, also in the box. 

[Fofer]

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@JoeSpiegel wrote:

On a related note. I really have wanted to ditch my Nest Thermostat since Google announced they were ditching Alexa.

When, and where, did Google announce they were "ditching Alexa?" That's news to me. I'd love to read specifics on that.

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@JoeSpiegel wrote:

Well, nobody includes a mounting plate like the Nest included, do they still include it? Any way, I need that and had no idea it wasn’t a normal inclusion or purchasable option. I actually bought an Ecobee only to find no such option. 

---

I'm pretty sure Ecobee included a mounting plate in at least some of their models, here's one at an office I'm working at today: 

And a quick search on Amazon shows wall plate options for different Ecobee models, as well.  Round or square.

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@JoeSpiegel wrote:

 I’d like a clean install like I have now with a cover plate, also in the box. 

---

Personally I think no wall plate at all is the "cleanest" way to install. Adding a wall plate looks sloppy to me, at least when it's not necessarily covering up other wall damage.

But different strokes for different folks...

[JoeSpiegel]

When Google ended “Works With Nest” that pretty much killed Alexa integration. Then Google realized that would make Bezos angry and he might launch his large … shaped rocket at their HQ and exempted Amazon. It wasn’t a secret. 

‘As for the mounting plate, I mean the bare metal flat thing with screw holes to align with the electrical box in my wall and the Nest mounting screws. Each device has their own screw hole patterns so an adapter is a must from the manufacturer of the thermostat. Nest includes one the others don’t. I need the trim plate to make it look clean.  The trim plates most include, their screw holes to mount to the wall would be air in my situation. 

[Dynatron]

Solution:

So, your Google Nest Thermostat and Alexa should be working correctly by default, correct? And, now unfortunately in this situation it doesn't. So, we need to bring the device, apps & cloud all simultaneously back to default to get everything working correctly again.

Step 1.) Remove the Thermostat from your Google Nest Account in the Google Nest App. Then, in the Alexa App, Disable the Google Nest Skill. You will also need to go to a web browser and go to your Google Account<Privacy & Data and remove access to Amazon Alexa, Google Home & Nest, if access has been given.  <--(This is probably where the cause to this glitch is most likely overlooked as I believe at best guess this glitch lies within access controls between Alexa and Google Nest)

Step 2.) Apps - we need to remove all data, cache and apps to reset this back to "default".

 - On Android device (my pixel phone), force stop Amazon Alexa App, Google Home & Nest Apps. Clear the cache and storage data then uninstall all three apps.

 - Repeat this process on any other devices. For me, I had to repeat this on my partners phone & two Amazon Tablets. Since I cannot uninstall Alexa from the tablets, I powered them down after clearing cache & storage data. 

Step 3.) Power down all Amazon Alexa Devices, for me, I unplugged or powered down my partners phone, 2 tablets, 9 Echo Dots, 5 Echo Shows, 3 Fire Cubes, & 4 Fire Sticks. I only powered down Amazon Alexa devices and did not power down any smart bulbs, switches, plugs, ect. This may have been excessive but the point is to clear all data, cache and reset the cloud account.

Step 4.) Reset the Thermostat to Factory Default (While the Thermostat was resetting, I also restarted my phone "the last android/alexa device" during this process, but did not reset the entire network like my Orbi Router, Satellite or Extenders. However, it's a good opportunity to reset the entire network by simply powering off all devices and powering them back up before continuing but this is not necessary)

At this point, you should have a fresh reset!

Step 5.) Now, you can download the apps. Log back into Google Nest, and add the thermostat. Then, Login to the Alexa App and add the Google Nest skill, also adding the Thermostat & granting access again. Then, plug in or power on your remaining Alexa Devices.

Step 6.) Test - ask Alexa to "set thermostat to cool/heat", wait 2-5 minutes, and ask Alexa, "set thermostat to off" It should work because you are now back to an "original setup" in which, by default, it should work properly. 

I went through this whole process and it resolved it for me. My Nest Thermostat E is up-to-date with 6.2-27 and it now works as it should. I did not lose any other devices in my Alexa App or any Routines in this process.

Hope this helps,

[KitBird]

I am having this issue as well. Lost hours of my life trying to fix this!! Hope a fix comes soon!!

[Tmyboy811]

It was working fine for all these years… suddenly it can’t turn off my best… it would say it has done so but it kept it on the whole time

[GumbyPW]

Workaround
If you don't need the "Eco" setting on your thermostat (as most wont)
1st goto your nest stat, settings, Eco and set both heat and cool to off
Open Alexa Routines
Create a routine called "thermostat off"
chose "when this happens"
Chose voice, then
when you say "set thermostat to off" or whatever you choose to use as the phrase
next add action & enter "custom", type this "set thermostat to eco"
if you have more than 1 echo chose from device you speak to
when you ask her your phrase "set thermostat to off"
she will respond "thermostat set to energy saving"
with "eco" settings heat & cool both off on thermostat
will cause Alexa to set the thermostat to off for all practical purposes

[Tmyboy811]

yeah.... a smart device ... pretty not smart... but i found a workaround easier than this

[Tmyboy811]

hey guys... for EVERYONE struggling! i found the way to fix it...
SIMPLY say "ALEXA set thermostat to COOL" and it basically means turning it off because winter you will never reach your cool temperature anyways... instead of doing all the ECO dumb move.

[GumbyPW]

For that matter, you could just say, set thermostat to 50. Perhaps I miss understood you, I thought you wanted it off. My apology's

[Fofer]

haha, teaching family members to say "Alexa set thermostat to cool" when they actually want to turn it off, strikes me as a pretty poor solution, and not all that simple, relatively speaking, at least.   And what are we supposed to say when we actually want to set the thermostat to cool? I preferred the original  "workaround," but thanks for the contribution to the conversation anyway.