Utility company Xcel locked 22,000 Colorado users in an energy saving program out of their smart thermostats for hours on August 30 citing an "energy emergency" (Jaclyn Allen/TheDenverChannel.com)

Jaclyn Allen / TheDenverChannel.com: Utility company Xcel locked 22,000 Colorado users in an energy saving program out of their smart thermostats for hours on August 30 citing an “energy emergency”  —  22,000 people lost control of temperatures in their homes for hours Tuesday  —  DENVER — During the dog days of summer …

Utility company Xcel locked 22,000 Colorado users in an energy saving program out of their smart thermostats for hours on August 30 citing an "energy emergency" (Jaclyn Allen/TheDenverChannel.com)

Jaclyn Allen / TheDenverChannel.com:
Utility company Xcel locked 22,000 Colorado users in an energy saving program out of their smart thermostats for hours on August 30 citing an “energy emergency”  —  22,000 people lost control of temperatures in their homes for hours Tuesday  —  DENVER — During the dog days of summer …