Whisker Labs has launched a new, free feature within its Ting app, offering Americans a real-time tool to monitor power outages. Leveraging data from its vast network of home sensors, the company provides immediate, hyperlocal outage alerts across the United States. Access to this new tracking service is available to everyone, regardless of whether they own a Ting sensor.
The tool addresses a growing need for reliable information during blackouts, particularly as weather-related outages become more common and utilities struggle to keep customers updated. It allows residents to determine if power has been restored to a specific location, which is crucial for those who have evacuated during a disaster.
The service is powered by a network of 1.1 million homes equipped with the Ting sensor, a device originally designed to prevent electrical fires by detecting micro-arcing from faulty wiring or malfunctioning appliances. Whisker Labs CEO Bob Marshall co-founded the company after his sister-in-law’s home was lost to an electrical fire.
Initially, the app’s power outage notifications were an exclusive benefit for sensor owners. After recognizing the feature’s broader utility, the company redesigned the app to make the outage map publicly accessible. Available on Apple’s App Store and Google Play, the updated app includes an interactive national map where users can search and save an address to monitor its power status.
According to Marshall, a Ting sensor is installed within one mile of approximately 95 percent of U.S. homes. Each device takes 30 million electrical measurements per second, enabling it to detect a voltage drop and signal an impending outage moments before it occurs. When multiple sensors in an area go offline simultaneously, the system identifies a community-wide blackout, providing a ground-level accuracy that can surpass official utility reports.
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