Saving energy during #OhmHours starts with understanding your home's electricity usage. Here's how North American residential electricity usage consumption typically breaks down:
So... what does that mean for your OhmHours? Here are our tips to cover the majority of electricity in your home:
Turn off central AC 3.50 kWh. Turn off window A/C unit 0.50 - 1.50 kWh. Turn off central fan 0.30 kWh.
Example: Turn off central A/C, central fan and one large window A/C unit on a hot day = 5.3 kWh savings
How to automate: connect a smart thermostat
Turn off space heater 31.32 kWh. Turn off furnace fan 0.30 kWh.
Example: Turn off central heating and 2 space heaters on a cold day = 2.94 kWh savings
How to automate: connect a smart thermostat
Turn off 10 60W bulbs 0.60 kWh. Turn off 10 14W fluorescent bulbs 0.14 kWh. Turn off 10 7W LED lightbulbs 0.07 kWh.
Example: Turn off all 30 incandescent bulbs in your house = 1.80 kWh savings
How to automate: connect smart light bulbs or lamps to smart switches
Don't use hot water + avoid running heater for 15 minutes 1.13 kWh. Put heater on smart plug + avoid average usage of 7.5 minutes per hour (most water heaters run for 3 hours/day) 0.56 kWh.
Example: Taking a hot shower, running a load of laundry and the dishwasher would have caused your heater to run for 1 hour. You do these things after the OhmHour = 4.50 kWh savings
How to automate: If your water heater is electric, put it on a smart plug so it won't heat water during OhmHours.
Put fridge on a smart plug or unplug it (the FDA reports a fridge keeps food cold for 4 hours if the door is kept closed) 0.10 - 0.23 kWh.
Example: Turn off two average-sized fridges for an hour = 0.30 kWh savings
How to automate: Put your refrigerator(s) on a smart plug
Turn off entertainment system
(TV, cable box, video game system) 0.24 - 0.48 kWh. Turn off 2 desktop computers 0.06 kWh. Unplug 2 laptop computers 0.16 - 0.24 kWh. Turn off stereo system 0.03 kWh.
Example: Unplug entertainment system and use 2 laptops on battery = 0.54 kWh savings
How to automate: Plug your entertainment system into one power strip and put it on a smart plug
Avoid running clothes washer for 1 hr 0.26 kWh. Avoid running clothes dryer for 1 hr 2.79 kWh. Avoid running iron for 15 min 0.28 kWh. Avoid running vacuum for 15 mins 0.14 kWh.
Example: Instead of running washer & dryer for 1 hour, wait until after #OhmHour = 3.05 kWh savings
How to automate: Put a smart plug on your dryer in case you forget about the OhmHour, and finish the drying later
Avoid running electric oven at 350 degrees for 1 hr 2.00 kWh. Avoid running dishwasher for 1 hr 0.33 kWh. Avoid running microwave for 5 min 0.13 kWh. Avoid running toaster for 5 min 0.09 kWh. Avoid running coffee maker for 5 min 0.08 kWh.
Example: Wait on baking those brownies and doing the dishes until after the OhmHour = 2.33 kWh savings
How to automate: Put your electric oven on a smart plug
Still hungry for more? Head over to the OhmConnect Blog to read all our tips for beating your forecast and hitting an OhmRun.
