This controller is designed to bid in the price and quantity of an HVAC system as a function of the indoor air temperature, and respond to price by adjusting its temperature set point. However, when using the "auto" setting on a thermostat and pre-cooling and pre-heating functions, it is possible for the two set points to overlap, causing a conflict within the thermostat. To resolve this, a "double ramp" mode was developed to determine the dominant mode within the thermostat and resolve the pricing conflict.