Coziness in the Midst of the Bomb Cyclone

Two weeks back, half of the United States was impacted by an intense winter storm that caused flooding, white-out conditions and power outages. Labeled a "bomb cyclone” by meteorologists, the storm grounded more than 1,300 flights, left hundreds of thousands of Colorado residents without power and likely impacted hundreds of thousands more as the storm moved across the Midwest. 

 While difficult to relate to after a beautiful spring day like today, Hygge isn’t just for the winter months. It can be cultivated all year long.

Photo: Xcel Energy’s outage map for the greater Denver

area on the morning after the winter storm.

 With our country’s aging grid infrastructure struggling to provide power to customers in the face of the historic storm, our reliance on electronics made these power outages particularly painful. No Wi-Fi left thousands of consumers feeling disconnected, and while the lack of power is merely annoying for some, it can be downright scary for those without light and heat for hours on end. 

 Whether using candles for light or snuggling under a blanket for warmth, power outages can be frustrating. We understand that frustration because it was in a similar storm that Hygge Power was born just a few short years ago.

Hygge Lifestyle

By now, almost everybody has heard of hygge (pronounced “hue-gah”).

 Stemming from this concept of people cultivating warm and cozy environments — whether in the workplace or at home, with friends, with family or all alone — hygge is regarded as a way of life for Danes. In 2016, it made Oxford Dictionary’s shortlist for Word of the Year, hygge is regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture —  and it’s our inspiration behind the name Hygge Power. 

 Hygge has definitely caught on as a lifestyle trend in the United States: the New York Times highlighted the public’s “fascination, bordering on obsession, with the Danish concept of hygge.” The social media site Pinterest predicted it would be one of the hottest home decor trends of 2017, and to date, users have tagged more than 4 million posts on Instagram with #hygge.

 Some of the most important elements of hygge stem from the days before electricity provided people with warmth, coziness and comfort. From candles and fireplaces to soft blankets and good food, hygge relies on creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. However, it’s rare to see people in the U.S. with a bunch of candles lying around today. And in-home fireplaces are seemingly even more rare as our modern lifestyles increasingly revolve around electricity.

 Hygge through Smartphones?

Let’s face it, in today’s fast-paced world, there aren’t always enough hours in the day to properly cultivate hygge. We neglect certain things because we simply don’t have the time or resources, but what if you could engage your outlet with your smartphone to automate lighting, heating and cooling? What if you could turn appliances on or off or schedule use? Additionally, what if you could seamlessly power your electronic devices without interruption during an outage? 

 You may not have a fireplace or candles, but instead you can access today's technology to immediately create an easy relationship between you and your outlet that enables a cozy and comfortable continuity of modern life. Today, we can equip our homes and apartments with easy and affordable devices like OPO to create cozy and comfortable environments, and these devices can also keep our most important electronics and appliances on — even in the event of a power outage — something the traditional outlet cannot do.

 That’s where Hygge Power comes in — to connect the two and bring the outlet to life. At Hygge Power, we’re connecting the Danish concept of hygge with power in the home, making people comfortable through electricity in two different ways: 

1)     Hygge Power gives energy consumers control, ensuring they can stay cozy, comfortable, warm and connected at any time of day. 

2)     Hygge Power ensures essential electronics remain powered up — even through the average U.S. power outage.

 Bringing Outlets to Life

At Hygge Power, we’re bringing the outlet to life to drive a hygge-centric way of life. Through our OPO line of products, we’re fostering an engaged relationship between energy consumers and their outlets. We’re bringing the outlet to life with an engaging smartphone application that affords consumers a level of control over the outlet that’s never been seen before. With OPO, consumers are not only more cozy and comfortable than ever before, they're also gaining awareness of their usage, preparedness information and control over the electricity on the other side of the outlet. 

 For example, should there be an outage or a storm on the horizon, our app can send you a notification ahead of time so that you can prepare to ensure the outage won’t impact your lifestyle. Don’t get left in the dark without food, security, entertainment or comfort. Or, if that seems like too much effort on your part, OPO can also manage devices and appliances plugged into it in the background. This way, you don’t have to worry about any outages, you just keep living the life you would normally live!

 With Hygge Power and OPO, everybody has a chance to create hygge without having to burn candles, chop wood for fires or move to Denmark. So don’t stress about the next power outage — Hygge Power ensures coziness and comfortability through electricity. Even in the face of a bomb cyclone, you can cultivate a warm, cozy and comfortable environment just by changing your relationship with your outlet.