How a Sense User in Ohio Cut His Energy Bill in Half

Daniel M. shares his Sense Saves story of cutting his energy usage in half with the help of his Sense monitor at his home on a 70-acre farm.

Recently we talked with a Sense customer who, in just two months, managed to cut his energy bill in half, saving him more than $1800 annually.

Daniel M.’s energy savings started when he bought his childhood home, a farm on 70 acres of land in rural Ohio. As he rediscovered his home from an owner’s perspective, he knew there was more he could do to reduce his energy usage. After receiving a $600 utility bill this winter, Daniel found he was paying much more than others in his area and started looking for solutions to lower his monthly bill and increase energy efficiency at home. He decided on Sense after doing some initial research, intrigued by the insight and control Sense provides.

Following an easy installation, Daniel M. began his Sense journey immediately with the Power Meter. One detail became discernible almost immediately - the Power Meter was showing energy spikes up to 4000W. With further investigation, Daniel discovered his heat pump was running instead of his gas furnace and was cycling hot water for seven minutes every half-hour, driving the tremendous spikes in his Power Meter. He was able to reprogram his thermostat to shut off the heat pump loop and cut his run time to seven minutes every hour, reducing the power consumption of his heat pump by 85% (down to 600W.) Daniel found out he was losing heat through the geothermal heat pump, also, and has turned it off until it’s needed in the summer for cooling.

After diagnosing and correcting the settings on his heat pump, Daniel used the Power Meter to track down additional energy hogs in his home. He kept a close eye on his daily energy usage and tracked down several inefficient light bulbs in his bathroom With almost 4000W of inefficiencies isolated so far, Daniel knew the remaining energy hogs around his home were going to be smaller appliances and devices. He took a deeper look and discovered his DVR was using a constant 130W and his wife’s heating pad was trickling energy, too.

Since tracking down the energy usage of his everyday items, Daniel says “I had some real energy hogs I didn’t realize were there.”

Since his initial discoveries, Daniel has cut his average electricity bill in half, saving him $150 a month, which translates to annual savings of $1800.

But Daniel says he is not done. His farm is home to 20 beef cattle and four horses. With plans to install another Sense monitor in one of the three barns on his property, he hopes to track how much energy his electric fence and the heating element components from his auto-waterers (once he’s wired the barn with internet access!)

Have a similar story? We’d love to hear it! Share your Sense Saves story with us here.