OhmConnect is designed to alert you and your smart home when dirty, expensive power plans switch on nearby and pays you to reduce your electricity use. In a sense, this program will pay you to turn off the lights and use less electricity when said to do so. Picture it almost like a rewards app to help you cut back on energy waste.
So, how does this make you money, you may be wondering?
Well, all energy companies don’t like to use power plants if they’re not cost effective and will want to avoid using them at all costs. Because of this, these energy organizations will pay you to not use energy when it’s in demand so that they don’t have to turn the plants on. In this regard, they can pay you and still come out ahead because of the said power plants that can stay dormant. This can also help save electricity and the planet’s future.
Now, since it would be hard for these power plant companies to come to every individual, they use third-party companies, such as OhmConnect, to do the dirty work for them. Their platform helps monitor your usage, and when the peak loads are near, they take action and ask you to lessen your electricity for that time period. In exchange for helping, they pay you!
Seeing that it’s quite the popular program in eligible areas, I figured I would research this program out and see how much you could make. As long as you pay an electric bill and your electric company participates, you can sign up today and start saving.
In today’s review, I will show you how you can sign up, how much you can make as well as if it’s worth it in the end. As in all of my reviews, I’m always 100% honest and would never recommend something I personally wouldn’t use.
So, with that out of the way, let’s dive in and see what the OhmConnect program is all about.
What is OhmConnect?
OhmConnect was created to help improve the lives and the health of the planet by re-imagining the way we use energy. According to the official website, they are a team of “environmentalists, engineers, scientists and community leaders” who are working hard to transition the world to a clean energy future.
The program is 100% free to join, and it will reward you when it matters the most to both the grid and the environment. Every week, on average, the company will send out a notification, alerting you to save energy. If you do so, you can receive points, which you can later on choose to turn into cash. It’s as easy as that.
Don’t worry, I will get in more detail later on, but for now, let it be known that the company does pay and it’s a 100% legitimate company and not some fly-by-night enterprise.
Signing Up for OhmConnect
Before you get excited about the program, let me warn you that it’s only open to customers of certain power companies at this time if you want to take full advantage of the program. While they will more than likely add more eligible customers in the future, these are the following utilities they are working with if you want to reap the full benefits:
- California users with PG&E (Pacific Gas & Electric), SDG&E (San Diego Gas & Electric) or SCE (Southern California Edison)
- Texas users with Smart Meter Texas
- Ontario users with Toronto Hydro
If you are not part of the following programs, then you can still participate, however, you can participate in the OhmConnect Bronze program. In the bronze program, the company will reward you with tokens rather than cash whenever you report your energy savings. With these tokens, you can win prizes from the OhmConnect’s spin to win the game.
Signing up for OhmConnect, no matter how you do so, is 100% free.
After you create an account, you will have to connect your utility account so that they can monitor your usage. This is mandatory to take advantage of the rewards.
Once you complete your profile, you will have to wait for your account to be approved.
NOTE: While joining is free, the company did release a program known as OhmSmart. This program makes unlocking reward a breeze. For $4.99 a month, the company will deliver smart plugs to your door, streak protection as well as a lifetime sale at their online store. This is 100% optional to join, but it is an option if interested.
How Does OhmConnect Work?
If you want to earn cash with OhmConnect, there are two ways to do so: one being with the OhmHours program or with what’s known as AutoOhms.
OhmHours
When you sign up with OhmConnect, it will notify you when your home’s energy is polluting the most and will ask you to reduce your electricity for about 15 to 60 minutes, giving you points in doing so. This is what’s known as OhmHours. Generally, you can shut down your A/C for the next hour or shut down electronics, etc. Basically, look for anything that you feel may be an energy hog and avoid using any, such as the dishwasher, dryer, washer, etc.
As you reduce your electricity, OhmConnect will sell back your reduced energy consumption to the grid that pays them. In return, they share the profits in a sense, keeping 20% and giving you the remaining 80%.
The key to making money with OhmConnect is that you want to reduce your electricity as much as possible since the less energy you use, the more you can make. Whether it’s leaving your home and shutting down the house or simply shutting off the lights and washer/dryer, all savings add up.
If participating with OhmHours, then you can expect about one or two a week. The company will always give you a day’s notice so that you can take advantage.
AutoOhms
AutoOhms is a relatively new program that requires you to connect smart devices to the program, such as a WiFi-enabled plug and/or thermostat.
With AutoOhms, your smart devices connected to the program will automatically shut down in real-time, earning you a flat rate for each device you turn off.
In this approach, it’s a simple way to get rewarded as you don’t have to do anything but connect your devices and forget about it. During an AutoOhm period, you will get a flat rate for every 15 minutes an appliance is off.
So, how does OhmConnect determine how much energy I used?
What they are going to do is calculate your home’s average based on the past two weeks, using this as a baseline.
If you reduce your energy consumption below this baseline, they will give you points, with each point worth a penny. You can earn much more if you’re currently on a streak and/or are in a higher level.
If you’re able to reduce your energy by less than 20% during the OhmHour, then you can get double points. If you feel you can do even better and reduce your energy by 40%, they will give you quadruple the points.
How Much Can I Earn With OhmConnect?
As long as you can reduce your electricity by more than 20%, you can earn points and make money in a sense. While it won’t be life-changing money, I did read about people making more than $90+ to $200+ a month.
On average, I would say you could make at least $10 to $40+ per month easily if you’re smart about your energy usage, sometimes much more if you’re aggressive. It’s said that you can earn up to 2,000 points per hour, a $20 value. I mean, if you research this very question, I saw people making more than $1,700 a year!
Again, how much you make will greatly depend on how much electricity you use during the OhmHours.
Don’t forget that you can also save energy in turning off your devices, so you should include that as well, right?
To maximize your earnings, OhmConnect offers what’s known as a Status Level as well as streaks. This status is determined by the average amount of electricity you reduce during the previous five OhmHour periods. The higher your status is, the more you can earn.
Straight from the FAQ, there are six programs: Carbon, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond, each offering its own multiplier.
Be sure to take advantage of these levels as it can greatly increase your points balance, as you can see.
Aside from the levels, OhmConnect also offers streak bonuses, in which adds a certain percentage to your points as well. According to the company, you can earn an additional 5% bonus for each successful OmHours you achieve in a row, up to 20 OhmHours. This streak bonus is applied on your next OhmHour, eventually capping out at 100% if you continue to consistently beat your forecast. You can find more information on the streaks via the FAQ.
In the end, you could earn 12 times the points and a 100% streak bonus, which, as you can imagine, can earn you a ton of points during the OhmHour period.
How Does OhmConnect Pay?
When you earn at least 10,000 points, a $10 value, you can cash out via PayPal. You can also choose to use your points to buy items from the OhmConnect store. In this store, they have a variety of gadgets to help your home become even more environmentally-friendly, such as smart plugs, thermostats, etc.
Final Thoughts
Sadly, this program is only open to a few residents, primarily California. If you live in this state or are part of the utilities mentioned above, consider at least connecting your utility account as you have nothing to use. I mean, it doesn’t hurt to cut your electric costs when it’s needed, right? Worst case, you can always disconnect if you find it’s not worth your time.
You’re not going to get rich, but if you cut your electricity when told so, you could earn more than $10 to $30+ per month. It’s enough to buy a pizza or two.
Remember, even if you’re not part of the utility companies mentioned above, you can still sign up, however, you will only earn tokens, which can be used in a future drawing.
For now, let’s leave it up to you.
Have you signed up for OhmConnect?
How much have you made?
What did you like? Dislike?
Help us out and share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Want $5 free?Try out Swagbucks, the most popular reward program I make the most money with. Simply answer survey questions and get paid! Join Now to Get $5! |
Add comment