State Farm insurance offering Ting electrical monitor

[Crowz]

I got a weird email just now from my house insurance company aka State Farm.

Ting monitors the electrical network of a home using a smart plug-in sensor to help detect hazards, so they can be fixed before they have a chance to ignite.​

State Farm to Provide Customers Free Electrical Fire Technology That Detects Electrical Hazards before They Spark

Bloomington, IL, May 17, 2021 -- Electrical fires make up approximately 13% of all home fires, take hundreds of lives each year and amount to nearly $1.3 billion in annual home damage (National Fire Protection Association 2019 Survey). State Farm®, the largest insurer of cars and homes in the...

newsroom.statefarm.com

Anyone tried this or know how it works?

 

[Troubleshooter]

Just like LexisNexis and driver data for cars.

 

[plympton]

I got a weird email just now from my house insurance company aka State Farm.

Ting monitors the electrical network​

Anyone tried this or know how it works?

Reads like a glorified voltmeter to me. Looks like it monitors the consistency of the 120v signal (so only one leg??). My hunch is that they've analyzed problematic data and compare signatures. "What does it look like before an arc? Before a CB pops?" etc.

Just my guess. Was thinking it was more like an Emporia device, but this doesn't seem remotely close.

 

[timselectric]

Garbage
I have one in my house for laughs.

 

[Ampster]

Anyone tried this or know how it works?

I have been a State Farm customer long before this article was published in 2021 and this is the first I have heard of it.

 

[50ShadesOfDirt]

It is interesting, but for these reasons, not useful for me:
- clown, er ... cloud-based. needs wifi/internet, transfers data to others
- insurance ... do you really want your insurance company to know things to this level?
- subscription-based (after 1st year, if not covered by insurance) ... I avoid all subscriptions, where possible ... it gets maddening to have to subscribe to use; unknown as to what insurance conditions will or might apply
- can't operate independent of Ting monitoring & service ... that's useless to me.

Perhaps one day a competing service will come out ... making it more useful to some wanting to avoid clown stuff.

 

[hwy17]

I would imagine this works like an AFCI and listens for the same kind of arc noise.

 

[v_green57]

"The Ting Service requires a Ting Sensor which must be installed at a Home, plugged into a standard wall power outlet and powered, connected to the Internet via a Home’s Wi-Fi network and broadband Internet service"

So it uses YOUR internet to rat you out on "anomalies".

Fail.

Eventually, we will probably be required to have stuff like this along with a remote disconnect the kills the whole structure which can't be reset until an "investigator" "clears" the situation (likely at your expense).

"Insurance" = legalized gambling. Carriers are doing everything they can to make sure the odds are always in their favor.

 

[v_green57]

I would imagine this works like an AFCI and listens for the same kind of arc noise.

More detailed description embedded between the legalese here:

Service Terms

We've included the terms of service for Ting here. Ting includes a plug-in sensor; 24x7 monitoring; and $1,000 remediation credit.

www.tingfire.com

But you are correct:

"WARNING: THE TING SERVICE IS DESIGNED TO DETECT MICRO-ARCS AND SPECIFIC VOLTAGE ANOMALIES IN RESIDENTIAL ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS AND IN ELECTRICITY DELIVERED TO THE HOME (AS DEFINED BELOW) FROM THE ELECTRICAL UTILITY GRID THAT MAY PRESENT ELECTRICAL FIRE HAZARDS, OR ELECTRICAL SHOCK HAZARDS, AND COULD POTENTIALLY DAMAGE APPLIANCES, ELECTRONICS, AND DEVICES IN A HOME (COLLECTIVELY, “FAULTS”)."

The last line should more accurately read:

"AND COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE WE THE INSURANCE COMPANY TO PAY A CLAIM."

 

[Crowz]

I have no intentions of allowing anything to be added to monitor my stuff except for my own personal use.

I was just curious about this thing after getting an email offer from them today.

 

[v_green57]

I have no intentions of allowing anything to be added to monitor my stuff except for my own personal use.

I was just curious about this thing after getting an email offer from them today.

Of course not. But thanks for letting us know about it.

Just curious - do theyoffer a premium discount for installing it?

 

[Adam De Lay]

I have no intentions of allowing anything to be added to monitor my stuff except for my own personal use.

I was just curious about this thing after getting an email offer from them today.

I got the same email a few weeks ago. After looking more into it I decided against it. Don't need yet ANOTHER thing trying to report back to some outside service...

 

[millsan1]

Things I don't believe:

The check is in the mail.

Santa Claus is real, lives on the North Pole and flies around the entire world in 1 day.

Bigfoot is real.

Insurance company doing something purely for the benefit of policyholders.

 

[Danke]

Sum Ting wong, smell fishy

 

[Hedges]

It probably provides just time-domain sampling. The sophisticated frequency domain signal processing elsewhere.
Over time (and after the fact of many fire incidents), it could train AI to spot issues.

How often do arcs continue long enough to be dealt with by snail mail or internet messaging? Vs. having to shut off rapidly to prevent a fire?

Some of each, I would guess.

State Farm? They have to a large extent exited California. Not entirely their fault, the laws prevent them from adjusting premiums to match risk without permission from the Commissioner. Something about $1.08 paid out in claims for every $1.00 collected as premiums in the state, for homeowners insurance.

 

[AntronX]

Sum Ting wong

Wi Tu Lo

 

[robbob2112]

I would be willing to bet Ting payed state farm to offer them and will split any subscriptions from people that do sign uo and pay

YUP...
If You receive the Ting Service through the WL Partner Program, Your Ting Service Fees may be paid, in whole or in part, by a third party (e.g., Your insurance company). If You receive the Ting Service through the WL Partner Program:

They promise nothing except to charge you. And in the EULA they pretty much come right out and say they could just alert from the device and skip the fees and need for internet...but the won't.

 

[TM48]

Another piece of the spy network.

 

[FLD]

State Farm invested in Whisker Labs so State Farm owns at least a piece of it. Being the cynic I am, I wouldn't be surprised if State Farm owns Whisker Labs as a subsidiary.

"GERMANTOWN, Md. November 16, 2021 -- Whisker Labs, a rapidly growing AI company and developer of Ting, today announced the close of its oversubscribed Series C funding round led by State Farm Ventures, a wholly owned subsidiary of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. Whisker Labs is offering a new paradigm in insurtech, bundling proactive safety and consumer simplicity. This funding allows Whisker Labs to accelerate distribution further and scale the business to meet growing demand."

 

[OffGridForGood]

Selling a placebo using endorsment of a well known (trusted) company name.