These Devices Mean You Can Crush Your OhmHours Without Lifting A Finger
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These Smart Home Devices Mean You Can Crush Your OhmHours Without Lifting A Finger

Sophie Lubin
/
April 26, 2018

Sometimes, it can be really hard to unplug everything you need to in order to be successful at beating your OhmHour forecast and earning points.

Maybe you’re away for the weekend and an OhmHour is on its way before you’ll have time to get home and shut everything down.

Or maybe you’re already super energy efficient and your forecast is low.

Or maybe you have a physical disability than makes it hard to get around the house and reach those often hard-to-reach plugs behind dressers and water heaters.

Or maybe you’re just feeling like this:

 

Whatever the reason, we’re here to help.

Automate your OhmHours with smart devices

The secret sauce for many OhmConnect users who crush their energy baselines is smart devices.

Ok ... but what are those? Smart devices are things like smart thermostats and smart plugs — and they’re smart because they connect to your home’s internet and can be controlled from anywhere.

Here’s how it works:

First, pick what you want from the OhmConnect store – we’ve sifted through hundreds on the market and picked the best of the best. As an OhmConnect user, you’ll be getting our members-only discount so it’s not going to cost an arm and a leg. (And if the cost does feel steep, read below for how smart devices earn you cash and save you money, paying for themselves in no time at all!)

  1. Next, install your new smart thermostat or plug in your home and connect it to your OhmConnect account.
  2. Once it’s all set up (it takes 2 minutes!), you’ll be able to control your appliances from your OhmConnect dashboard, and more importantly, we’ll automatically turn off the device when an OhmHour starts, and start it back up again when the event is over. (Rest assured, you can always override the shutdown if you need or want to!)

So, what does this all mean for you? When the next OhmHour comes your way, you won’t be running around turning things off around the house. Instead, things will turn off for you. And turn back on for you. And you’ll earn points and save energy without ever lifting a finger.

Some of the most popular, and easiest to install smart home devices are:

Smart Thermostats

If the first utility bill you get at the start of a new season gives you a shock, you may want to consider investing in a smart thermostat, which will not only let you you monitor and control your home’s temperature from your smartphone, PC or tablet—but can help reduce your energy bill too.

That’s because these devices can monitor temperature and humidity inside and outside your home, your comings and goings, and tailor heating and cooling cycles accordingly.

Tom’s Guide has broken down the best smart thermostats of 2018 and you can get a great discount on one in the OhmConnect store.

"In our home we have a Nest Smart Thermostat and TP-link plugs, all of which we've connected to OhmConnect to turn off automatically when an OhmHour starts,” said Cadir Lee, OhmConnect President and smart home enthusiast. “Since installing them, we've noticed a big difference in our OhmHour performance.”

The best part: They pay for themselves

The big smart thermostat manufacturers claim you can recoup the cost of a smart thermostat in as little as under two years. Coupled with rebates from your local utility company, that “break even” wait could be even shorter.

Nest Labs did a study and released a white paper on their findings. It’s an interesting read, and the short of it is that they found a 10-12% savings on heating and 15% savings on cooling, or about $131-145 in savings a year.

Every smart thermostat manufacturer is making similar claims:

Smart Plugs

A Wi-Fi Smart Plug is a great way to jump start your connected home. It’s a simple-to-use device that you can plug into any open outlet, giving you control of whatever is plugged into it.

With the a wifi-enabled smart plug, you can easily turn devices on and off right from your phone or tablet, create simple schedules for your home’s devices, or connect the plug to OhmConnect so whatever is plugged in gets automatically shut off when an OhmHour starts.

“I have a TPLink attached to my fridge,” said Carson Moore of San Francisco. “Before I did this, I had a lot of trouble beating my OhmHour forecast and frequently went over. When I added the smart plug, I immediately saw reductions of > .1 kWh (my baseline is low, around .2-.3, so that's 30-50% ... AKA Platinum territory!), hit Gold, then Platinum, and built a big streak (currently sitting at 38)! A smart plug is a *must-have* for anyone with a low baseline. It turned out, almost all of the energy I use is coming from my fridge!”

“One thing I really like about the TP-LINK is that there is this subtle audible click when they turn off that is the reminder that there is an OhmHour,” said Matt Duesterberg, CEO of OhmConnect.

Wait - do I need to buy hardware to get paid for saving energy with OhmConnect?  

No. Most OhmConnect users choose to receive OhmHours via text message or email. Some users with wifi thermostats or electric cars have connected their devices to OhmConnect to automate their participation, but that is not required.

Want to get in on the smart home movement?

We realized that we can help you save more energy automatically by providing high quality WiFi thermostats, electric car chargers, and smart plugs at very low cost.

Check out the OhmConnect store for a great deal.

Related Post: Where’s the best place to put my smartplug?
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