If you’ve arrived at this page, chances are you’re keen on saving money by saving energy in your home.
You could try putting in new light bulbs, or upgrading to more efficient appliances, and even unplugging everything when you leave the house. And don’t get me wrong - those tactics all help save energy. But when it comes down to it, they’re all a drop in the bucket compared to what a thermostat can do.
Your thermostat controls roughly half your energy bill. And if it’s a traditional thermostat, or even a programmable one, it’s likely wasting energy.
Because smart thermostats learn how and when to keep you comfortable, they know how and when to save energy.
To prove it, Nest looked at the energy bills of real people in 41 states before and after they got a smart thermostat. Then they watched the data roll in from two independent studies – from real homes with real families and real thermostats. The results were clear: on average, owning a smart thermostat saved 10% to 12% on heating and 15% on cooling. Based on typical energy costs, they estimated average savings of $131 to $145 a year.
That means most smart thermostats pay for themselves in less than two years.
And that doesn’t take into consideration the money you can save with a rebate, and the money you can EARN by connecting that smart thermostat to your OhmConnect account!
Smart thermostats can help you save energy and money off your monthly utility bill, but you may still be wondering whether they are worth the investment.
Most utility companies offer rebates on smart home devices. Check with your utility to see if you qualify.
PG&E customer? Learn about their rebates here.
SCE customer? Learn about their rebates here.
SDG&E customer? Learn about their rebates here.
Check out your utility’s Marketplace for thermostat models, prices, reviews, and other useful information:
This is where things really get fun.
If you’re an OhmConnect customer, you can get paid to reduce your home’s energy usage once per week during times of peak demand, called #OhmHours.
OhmConnect will notify you of an upcoming #OhmHour, and if you’ve connected a smart thermostat or other smart device to your account, adjust your temperature and power usage accordingly. If you use less energy than you’re forecasted to, you get paid! The average OhmConnect customer earns between $100-$300 per year, (with some earning in the thousands!).
"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.”
Every smart homeowner or renter needs a smart thermostat, and with the rebates available to you, they’re practically free. So what are you waiting for?
Happy saving and earning!
* Check your utility’s terms and conditions before purchase to ensure that a thermostat qualifies for a rebate.
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