Patent ID: 8099195

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: an application interface configured to use at least a portion of an incoming message communicated using a home energy network at a residential site; wherein the incoming message includes at least a portion of a first user energy management schedule; a controller capable of altering use of a resource in response to the first user energy management schedule; a first communication interface operably coupled to the application interface and configured to communicate with a first network operably associated with the home energy network; a second communication interface operably coupled to the application interface and configured to communicate with a second network operably associated with the home energy network, wherein the second network is different than the first network; wherein one of the communication interfaces is configured to detect a WIFI network connection of a mobile device connected to a WIFI enabled network; wherein the mobile device is associated with the first user energy management schedule; wherein the application interface is further configured to initiate use of the first user energy management schedule in response to a detection of a connection of the mobile device and the WIFI enabled network; and wherein the application interface is further configured to initiate altering use of the resource in response to a detection of an absence of a connection between the mobile device and the WIFI enabled network.