OhmConnect is giving Californians two free smart plugs and $25 cash just to help save energy. Here’s how to get yours — and start lowering your electricity bill, too. This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps...
You probably don’t give your refrigerator much thought. So long as it’s keeping your food cold, why would you?
But one California company wants to focus on your fridge — in fact, they’ll pay you $25 just to plug it into this free device.
They’re called OhmConnect, and right now, they’re giving away two free smart plugs to Californians who want to do their part to reduce energy usage in their town. Plus, they’ll give you $25 cash just to sign up and connect your utility account. Even better? This could help reduce your electricity bill every month.
Connect This Free Smart Plug to Your Biggest Energy Suckers
It’s no surprise that the biggest users of energy in your house are the air conditioner, TVs and refrigerator. That’s why OhmConnect wants to pay you to turn them off during busy hours to reduce the strain on the grid.
But instead of having to manually go around your house and unplug all your devices, OhmConnect will send you two free smart plugs that will handle the power for you. (Fun fact: You can turn off your fridge and freezer for up to four hours before worrying about your milk or any other food going bad).
You can also connect your free smart plugs to “vampire devices” — the ones that are always sucking energy out of your home, even if they’re not turned on. Gaming consoles, microwaves, desktops, etc. can all continuously use small amounts of power, adding up to big costs at the end of the month.
Reduce Your Electricity Bill Mindlessly
OhmConnect works with all the major power companies in California and pays people to use less energy and avoid turning on dirty power plants. Then, they pass those savings on to you.
When you create an account with OhmConnect and link your utility account, you’ll get a text when a lot of people in your area are using power. So when you cut back your power usage during these “OhmHours”, you’ll get paid — and help reduce the stress on your energy grid.
All you have to do is unplug your TV or cook dinner on the grill instead of in the oven. Better yet, let your smart plug do the work for you. So long as you are using less energy than usual during these OhmHours, you’ll get paid — not to mention you’ll likely see a lower power bill each month.
And if you use the two free smart plugs OhmConnect is giving new users, you could save three times as much money.
Get Your Hands on Two Free Smart Plugs and Score $25 Cash
Getting your free smart plugs and $25 is easy for California residents who use PG&E, SDG&E or Southern California Edison. Here’s how:
Sign up for a free OhmConnect account here. Sync it with your online utility account through PG&E, SDG&E or Southern California Edison. OhmConnect will send you your free smart plugs and $25 after you connect your utility account. Receive energy usage notifications during “OhmHours” and “AutoOhms” — high-energy-consumption times that trigger non-green power plants to activate in order to support the overtaxed grid. Head outside or at least turn the TV off until the OhmHour is up. If you have a smart plug connected to any of your devices, they’ll automatically shut off during these high-usage times. That’s it! OhmConnect rewards you with cash for reducing your energy consumption and helping to prevent blackouts.Enter your ZIP code here to get started and claim your two free smart plugs — plus $25 when you connect your utility account. See how much money you can make this month.
Kari Faber is a staff writer at The Penny Hoarder.
This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.