Winner of the 2018 Acterra Business Environmental Award,
OhmConnect is a free service available to households and businesses in California (PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E service areas) and Ontario, Canada (Toronto Hydro service area) that rewards saving energy at times when the electric grid is stressed.
Participants in the program receive text or email notifications when energy demand on the grid is high (periods of time we refer to as #OhmHours) and if they can use less energy than they’re forecasted to use, they get paid.
While customers can connect a variety of smart devices to the OhmConnect platform and thereby automate their participation in #OhmHours, purchasing hardware is not necessary for a rewarding customer experience.
“Technologies like rooftop solar and electric vehicles can save families money in the long term while helping the environment,” says John Anderson, OhmConnect’s Director of Energy Markets. “However, the high up-front costs of these technologies make them inaccessible to many households. At OhmConnect, we’re proud that we can offer a service that is free and accessible to virtually all households, regardless of income. Indeed, data from the California utilities shows that lower-income households make up more than one third of OhmConnect’s customer base. The rewards earned from participating in #OhmHours can make a real difference in these families’ day-to-day lives.”