LG&E To Replace Thousands of Thermostats

LG&E is beginning the process of replacing some 12,500 thermostats it installed in homes and small businesses as part of a pilot project on energy conservation. Some of the thermostats have partially melted.LG&E spokesperson Chip Keeling says about eight thermostats have experienced problems, and there was a fire at a residence that received one of them. He says they’re still trying to determine if the problems were caused by the thermostats themselves, the HVAC systems or the installation of the devices.“Right now, in our analysis of the one fire of the eight instances that we’ve seen out of these 12,500 units, it looks as though the fire was unrelated to the thermostat," says Keeling.LG&E is offering customers in the program three options: to have the company replace the thermostat, to contact an approved LG&E contractor to do so, or have their own electrician replace it and be reimbursed by the company.