How To Help Your Town Reduce Energy Usage In The New Year

This Patch article is sponsored by OhmConnect.

If you're still trying to decide on the perfect New Year's resolution for 2020, why not consider helping the planet by using energy in a more efficient way?

OhmConnect is a free service that helps you use energy when it's efficient and actually pays you to use less when it's not. The company will let you know when "peak energy-usage" windows occur and encourage you to turn off your lights, give your thermostats a break or refrain from using your electronics during those times.

If you’ve used less energy than you were forecast to, you get rewarded for it. In fact, the average OhmConnect user earns $350 a year for their small and easy routine shifts.

It sounds too good to be true, but it's actually a lot simpler than you might think. Patch caught up with Liz Ludwig, chief marketing officer of OhmConnect, to learn more about the clean-energy service and why we should all give it a try in the upcoming year:

Patch: How long have you been doing business in town?

Ludwig: I have been working in the East Bay in clean energy for the past eight or so years. OhmConnect was founded in 2013 and has been rewarding California residents for reducing their energy during peak times for the past five years.

Patch: What attracted you to the line of work you’re in, and how did you get started?

Ludwig: I worked in consumer products for 16 years prior to moving over to clean tech. I remember thinking that if I was going to put all of my energy into my career (and miss out on time with my kids), that I really wanted to believe in what I was working on. I made the move to work at technology companies that use their business innovations as part of the broader climate change solution.

Patch: If you had to sum up your business mission to a stranger in five words, what would those words be?

Ludwig: Reimagining how we use energy.

Patch: What’s the biggest challenge or most difficult moment you’ve faced in your job?

Ludwig: Getting homeowners out of inertia. Life is busy, and most people are working hard to provide for their families, not thinking about energy. But I think if people knew that they could make a big impact with very small behaviors, they would. Gaining their attention is the hardest part.

Patch: What’s the most satisfying part of your job?

Ludwig: Knowing that in just a brief window of time, when demand on the energy grid is really high, we can work together as a community to do something that has a huge impact. And from the perspective of our business, we can reward customers to reduce their collective energy usage, and avoid the alternative — which is firing up a dirty, expensive power plant.

Patch: How would you say your business or organization distinguishes itself from the others?

Ludwig: OhmConnect community members reduce our energy usage by turning off lights, giving our thermostats a break and not using electronics during an hour of high demand on the grid. And simply, if you’ve used less energy than you were forecast to, you get rewarded. With most businesses where things seem “too good to be true,” they generally are. In the case of OhmConnect, you truly can get rewarded for doing next to nothing and, at the same time, you’re helping in the fight against climate change, which we’re really proud of.

Patch: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given when it comes to success?

Ludwig: Basically just that positive attitude leads to positive outcomes. I truly believe that the biggest difference in successful businesses is not taking no for an answer and always listening to customers about what they really want.

Patch: Are there any new projects or endeavors you’re working on that you’re extra excited about?

Ludwig: We want to make it so every home can utilize smart devices such as smart thermostats, smart plugs and voice control to best manage their energy use — and save money. You will see more product solutions from us in 2020 that will help enable our users to do just that.

Patch: Do you have any events coming up in your community?

Ludwig: We had some customer appreciation events in the Central Valley this summer and are planning some for this coming spring in the East Bay, Fresno and other locations in the Bay area. More details to come.

Patch: How can Patch readers learn more about your work and business?

Ludwig: Check out our website and our blog. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. We're at 350 Townsend St., No. 424, San Francisco, CA 94107

If you're a PG&E, SCE or SDG&E customer, you're eligible to sign up for OhmConnect and start saving today. The innovative platform allows homeowners and renters to "sell" their energy reductions directly to the state’s energy markets, making it a win for your wallet and the world.

Learn more about how OhmConnect can help you earn money while saving money here.