The New King of Always On

Share your Sense stories
1

I’ll start with a disclaimer; I live alone in a 750 sq ft 1 bedroom apartment. Regardless, I think this is a feat worthy of note.

My Always On is down to 25 watts!

I started using Sense in August 2017. Like most people, I have always been curious about what uses energy in my apartment. I used to have questions like - why is my bill still high even though I was away from home for 2 weeks in the month of December? Why is my bill still high even though I shut off the HVAC and used my space heater instead.

After installing sense, I began to get answers to my questions about energy usage. I found out that my water heater still runs occasionally to keep the water temperature at the set point whether I’m home or not and that running my space heater (all night and all day during the weekend) was probably costing me more that what I would have incurred by using my HVAC at a lower set point. I became aware of what’s using energy in my apartment and when, then began shutting things off.

After identifying my big energy hogs (HVAC & Water Heater) the next step was to look for a way to reduce their energy consumption without sacrificing my comfort. So, I paired Sense with other smart energy saving devices like smart thermostat, smart water heater controller and wi-fi enabled smart power strip.

I programmed my thermostat to run on eco mode (Cooling mode: Off, during the summer and Heating mode: 50, during the winter so my pipes don’t freeze) as soon as I leave the house. I used the water heater controller to restrict my water heater’s energy usage to just 30 minutes during the workweek – 15 minutes in the morning so I can take a shower and 15 minutes in the evening. Lastly, I used the wi-fi enabled smart power strip to eliminate phantom usage from electronic devices in standby mode.

The results have been impressive. Now, my Always On is down to 25 watts and my monthly energy usage is at an all-time low!

Sorry, markhovis73, your reign is over. A new king is in town!

Sense%20always%20on

8 Likes
2

I bet us apartment dwellers are pretty uncommon on here. My square footage is about 1,200 sq ft and my Always On is about double yours. Sounds like we’re living pretty similar lives!

In any case, congrats! 25W is awesome. What was your AO prior to this?

1 Like
3

Thanks
AO was 42W as at December 2018.

1 Like
4

So bigger isn’t better here?

AlwaysOn
AlwaysOn.PNG799×604 21.4 KB

3 Likes
5

554W may be high, but in the grand scheme of users, it’s nothing! At least it’s not four digits :slight_smile:

6

What controller do you use? I have only found one at Lowe’s and it is only compatible with a small number of water heaters that they sell.

7

I’ve heard Aquanta (https://aquanta.io/) being talked about a lot. I don’t know if that’s what @King_Tolu uses or not, but it looks like it works on a fairly wide range of heaters (anything with an electronic control system).

1 Like
8

Thanx. Quite expensive at $149 + $15 shipping (and can add on leak detector for $25). It does show a place for coupon codes…does anyone have any good ones? At least Sense offered 10% off for military (which I am).

Edited to ad that I was able to find a free shipping coupon code active at least in December 2019…TIPMONT for $15 free shipping. It looks like it allows for more than one coupon code as well so am looking for more.

9

Mike is right. I used Aquanta.

-King_Tolu

10

Thanx for your quick response! Has it been worth the price? How much did you pay? Did you have a coupon code? Also, it doesn’t look like it measures water usage, right?

11

You’re welcome.
Yes, it’s been worth it but keep in mind that I live alone so I’m able to shut my water heater off whenever I like.

No, I didn’t use a coupon and I think it can measure water usage (if the sensor is installed inside the water heater) but I’m not sure. Mine doesn’t.

12

Thanx. I live alone also (except for the occasional Airbnb Guest) and turn my water heater off at the breaker. It is a pain to do, especially in the really cold and really hot weather, because the panel is located at the far end of my garage.

I was able to find a coupon code for the shipping ($15 value) and it looks like more can be added for simultaneous use. I just updated my previous post to indicate this as well.

Did you have to open up the water heater and remove the T&P pipe (haven’t learned what that stands for yet) to install the Aquanta?

13

My primary use of hot water is via the two daily (10 minute) showers, given my laundry is accomplished with cold water.

  1. Is the Aquanta worth the effort, regardless of price?

  2. What savings have you experienced?

14

Yes, Aquanta will be worth the effort. Water heaters make up about 20% of the total energy use in an all electric home. I have been able to achieve about 30% savings on my water heater energy cost.

2 Likes
15

I did not have to remove the pipe. I installed my sensor on the outside. Watch their installation video on YouTube to see how it’s done.

1 Like
16

Ah ok. I didn’t know they had a video. I just saw like a 5-7 step picture process. Will do. Thanx!

17

Thanks for sharing your outcome! I’ve watched their YouTube videos, but remain uncertain if I’ll achieve those savings- via my gas water heater… I’ll continue my research!

18

You’re welcome. I’m not sure using the device with a gas water heater will be cost effective considering the cost of gas vs electric.
Let’s know what you find out from your research!