Easing the strain on Ohio’s electrical grid sounds like a good thing. A bill proposed by state Rep. Roy Klopfenstein, R-Haviland, purports to do just that.

But HB 427 might seem troubling to some Ohio homeowners, despite its apparent good intentions. The bill would allow utilities to control thermostats and water heaters in individual homes as a way to curb usage during times of peak demand.

“This legislation is a crucial step in our state’s comprehensive plan to ensure all Ohioans have access to reliable, affordable and readily available energy,” Klopfenstein stated in a news release last week. “These programs will ease the strain on our energy grid and save money for all Ohioans.”

We can hear homeowners already.

What about those 90-degree days in the summer or those frigid nights during the winter?

Will utilities have us sweating or shivering in what are supposed to be our own, comfortable homes if the demand for electricity becomes too high?

Will we have to get used to cold showers?

Not to worry. Participation would not be mandatory. Customers would have to opt into the proposed program, and, even then, homeowners would have the option to reverse any adjustment made by a utility provider, according to the bill.

We wonder how many Ohioans would elect to participate in such a program. And when push came to shove for those who did, how many of us wouldn’t override such adjustments if they interfered too much with our comfort?

Ohio isn’t the first state to consider or develop similar programs. Critics suggest these “opt-in” programs might serve as the proverbial “Trojan horse,” which could eventually become a mechanism to allow utilities or the government to regulate our energy use without consent.

The New York Post, which reported on HB 427, states that “Arizona power companies pay households to enroll in thermostat-control programs during heat waves. Customers still keep override authority, but the collective tweaks have helped utilities avoid rolling blackouts during 115-degree summers.”

Massachusetts employs a similar program called “Mass Save” and Connecticut lawmakers have made similar proposals to “temporarily manage thermostats, water heaters and even electric vehicle charging during emergencies,” according to the New York Post.

We understand the demand for electricity in states like Arizona, with its extreme heat. A 115-degree day in Phoenix is bound to tax the electrical grid. Connecticut and Massachusetts residents, who tend to be more liberal, might also be inclined to turn over control of their thermostats and other devices to utility companies.

It remains to be seen if HB 427 will fly with Ohioans. We’d need to know about Klopfenstein’s bill — and be sure it won’t lead to overreach — before we sign off on it.