When it comes to reducing energy with OhmConnect, there are different kinds of #OhmHours. Regular (or Points #OhmHours), Prize #OhmHours — and sometimes also MEGA #OhmHours (read about those here).
What are Prize #OhmHours?
Prize #OhmHours are a lot like regular #OhmHours — they're hours during the week when saving energy helps the grid and earns you rewards. You'll know it's a Prize #OhmHour by the star on the #OhmHour on your dashboard:
What's different about Prize #OhmHours?
Instead of earning points for using less energy, Prize #OhmHours give you a chance to win a prize. You'll get an energy-saving goal for each Prize #OhmHour, and if you beat it, you'll be entered to win the next prize drawings (which happens every 2 weeks).
The Prize goal will be lower than your average energy use (what we call your forecast for regular #OhmHours), but it will a lot easier to beat than the goals were for MEGA #OhmHours.
How can I win?
There are three ways to qualify for the prize drawing every few weeks. You need to do ONE of the following:
- Beat your Prize #OhmHour goal. We’ll tell you what your specific goal for that Prize #OhmHour is in the email and SMS ahead of time. It’ll be lower than your forecast, but not as tough as MEGA goals were this summer.
- Or, refer someone new to OhmConnect who reaches Silver
- Or, have a smart device, like a smartplug or thermostat, participate in the Prize #OhmHour. (What do we mean by "participate"? Your device must turn off or go down during a Prize #OhmHour for it to qualify you into the next prize drawing.)
Remember: you just have to do one of these to qualify for the prize each round, not all three!
What can I win?
We'll announce a winner every other Sunday on Facebook Live at 5pm and if you are lucky enough to win, we'll inform you via email, and a message on your #OhmConnect dashboard. We will be giving out some major prizes this season. Things like: your mortgage paid for a month, a trip to Hawaii for your family, or a whole lot of cold-hard-cash. Want in? Beat your Prize goals and tune in to see if you're the next lucky Ohmer!
Is there a Grand Prize?
Yes! We'll be giving out another $100,000 to one super saver. We're tracking all the energy our entire community is saving, and once we've saved 1 GWh, we'll do a drawing for a $100,000 Grand Prize. To qualify for the Grand Prize, you have to beat your Prize goal 5 times. Track you progress on your main dashboard:
What about streaks and status?
- During Prize #OhmHours, you won't earn points for beating your forecast, but these #OhmHours do count toward your streak and your status.
- To maintain your streak, you just have to beat your forecast (the average energy you've been using over the last 10 days) during a Prize #OhmHour. For example, if your streak was 15 before the Prize #OhmHour and you beat your forecast, your streak will be 16.
- When we calculate your status level, it will be the same overall calculations - the average of your past 20 #OhmHour reduction.
Remember, since some #OhmHours will be for points and others will be for prizes, you want to make sure your streak and status are going strong, so you maximize the points you get whenever a point-OhmHour comes your way.