Power Outage Notification System (2 Smart-Plug Bundle)

I've lost a freezer full of meat twice now due to power failures. Recently, a contractor switched off the breakers for my freezer and forgot to switch them back on. I got there in time, but that was it. I needed something to let me know when the power was out on that circuit. A quick search and I came across The Big Issue, which is when your power is out, your wifi is out too, so the device can't connect to tell you it's out. So many of these devices have their own cellular built in, and thus charge you arm+leg every month to monitor.This guy works differently, and it's so clever. Instead of alerting when the power is off, this guy pings a monitoring service every 2 mins when the power is *on*. That's when your wifi is working. If the service doesn't hear from the device after 3 pings (6 minutes), the *service* contacts you. This way it works even if your whole house is out. Super clever, and no ongoing monitoring fee, because pinging over the internet is super-cheap, so you buy once and you're set for life.Other reviews talk about difficult setup. This is a device made by a guy named George. It's a small company. Might just be that one guy, but I'm sure he's using stuff like Zapier to make the system work, so it ought to be reliable. Anyway because it's a small company, he doesn't make the devices, so there's a 2-step setup: first set up the device, then register it with him for monitoring. I guess that confuses some people, but I found it to be very easy, and he has a great set of instructions that come with it. If you follow them, it will work fine.I got this yesterday, and haven't had a power outage yet, but part of the setup is to test it by pulling it out of the outlet, and I did in fact get notified fairly promptly both by text and email, so I'm confident it will work when it has to.Overall, I think this is a fantastic solution to this tricky problem, and kudos to George for dreaming it up and making it available at such a reasonable price.

We live in a rural area that regularly loses power, and the temperature in our home can drop fast in those circumstances. We also happen to have pet birds who we spoil rotten and want to protect at all costs. With this device (though really this should be considered a service more than a device) works perfectly to alert us in the case of a power outage occurring when we are at work. When we get the alert, we know we need to head home and get the generator started. Yes, I know we could get an automated transfer switch, but that’s many times more expensive and there are logistical reasons that would make it difficult. The setup procedure was not difficult, and it has worked in real situations already. The fact that you don’t need functioning Wi-Fi to make it work is what sets this apart from other solutions. I also very much appreciate that it does not require a subscription for the service-just a one time registration. For our needs it is perfect, and I highly recommend this product.

I couldn't get the IOS app to discover the first plug. After 4 or 5 failed attempts, I recognized it as a PICNIC error so I unplugged it, closed the app and made a cup of coffee. Came back a few minutes later and started all over. Everything worked exactly as described in the instructions and I had no problem setting up the second Smart Plug. I have no idea what I did wrong the first time. Activating the email & SMS notifications on their website is so easy and you can even schedule Do-Not-Disturb times if you like.I wish the seller would offer a model with an Energy Monitoring function so I could be notified when my laundry is done.

Both devices work very well as a smart plug with remote on/off for two or three times the cost of many other smart plugs that work the same, however the primary feature of these, where they are supposed to notify you of power loss, simply doesn't happen. 5 hours into testing, neither devices have sent any notifications.Zero instructions were sent with the device, in either of the boxes. The app was easy enough to setup, however you also have to setup things online, separately, for notifications.Online directions say "Enter the User Name and Password showing on the top of the sheet that came with the smartplugs". Yet, as already stated, zero instructions or sheets came in the boxes. No paper at all. Nothing but the plugs themselves. This leaves you completely unable to setup the separate, online portion to complete the notification process.

It's a great product! We ended up ordering another set for our second home. The peace of mind of knowing your fridge/ freezer or whatever else is running makes it all worth it. Not only is the product great the customer service is TOP NOTCH. Anytime I've called or e-mailed Amanda has been nothing but kind and helpful. When your plug in loses service you get emails and texts to alert you, and the same for when the power is back on. This product helped us save a whole freezer of meat when we were out of state.