Energy usage monitoring can help you keep track of how much you are spending on your energy. With this information, you can find out which appliances you should use less frequently to save on your energy bills.
There are many different methods that you can use to track your electricity consumption, but in this article, we’ll focus on three methods. Two of these methods are available to everyone, but one method is limited to those using the energy provider that supports it.
Through your power supply with smart meters and applications
Perhaps the easiest option for those who can get support is to purchase a smart meter directly from an energy provider.
Some energy providers may offer smart meters and installation for free, while others may charge you for it. Some may not offer smart meters at all. It is best to contact your energy supplier directly to see what they have to offer.
So what is a smart meter? Well, every home uses a meter to closely track how many kilowatt-hours of energy is being used. However, dumb options cannot send this information directly to the supplier, and there isn’t much information on them to show you how much you are spending.
As a result, you are billed, which is an approximation, and you often puzzle over how much electricity you use in your home each day.
A smart meter is essentially an updated version of a meter. Smart meters can send energy usage data directly to your supplier, which means more accurate prices. More importantly, smart meters give you valuable insight into how much you are spending. Some smart meters even include apps with fancy dashboards filled with statistics and information.
This method is great for those who don’t want too much upfront investment – as I said earlier, sometimes you can get one for free, and if not, at a reasonable price from the vendor.
However, smart meters can’t do you justice when it comes to viewing the energy consumption of specific appliances. In addition, not all of the world’s energy suppliers will offer smart meters.
Device-specific monitoring using smart plugs
The next suggestion is to buy smart sockets. These are outlet adapters that plug directly into any outlet. Then, you plug your appliances and electronics into a smart outlet. A smart plug acts as an intermediary between your wall and your device, collecting data on how much power is being used.
This data is then sent directly to the smartphone app. The app you use will depend on which plug you choose, but usually you’ll get information about how much power the device is using and the approximate amount it will cost you.
However, not all smart plugs have monitoring capabilities. Some are simply designed to add home automation with helpers like Alexa, Siri, or Google Home. Make sure you double check if the energy monitoring features are turned on before buying a smart plug. For example, Amazon Smart Plug cannot track your usage, but WeMo Insight plugin can.
Smart plugs can be useful if you want to monitor certain devices along with a smart meter or other monitoring system for the whole house.
They’re also great for people who forget to turn off appliances on the wall – a smart plug can automate this process for you. The only problem is that you will need to invest a lot to cover every used outlet in your home. They are best used for energy consuming such as electric heaters, etc.
Home electrical control systems
If you want to get more real-time data on how energy is used in your home, or if you cannot get reliable information from an electricity meter, then a home monitoring system can be the solution.
You can get many products in different price ranges, but we think small DIY monitors such as the geo Minim are fine for you. It will set you back about $ 50 and will track information right from any old electricity meter. These monitoring systems can prove invaluable for tracking your energy consumption in real time and keeping track of how much you actually spend each day.
Essentially, these systems take information that a standard meter is already outputting and turn it into charts, graphs, and detailed views of your energy costs using software.
I think this option is great for those who cannot get a smart meter from their energy supplier. Alternatively, this might be a good option for those who own a smart meter with limited functionality. It cannot be used to track specific electronic usage. This means that you still need to plug it into smart plugs to get more detailed information on power consumption.
Summary
In the end, it would be better to opt for a home electrical monitoring system from Amazon, or get a smart meter from your supplier first. That being said, you can use an app or on-screen interface to see how much power you are using each day. More importantly, both of them can immediately demonstrate the value of your daily, weekly and monthly energy consumption.
To use energy more efficiently, you need to purchase smart plugs. However, the price does increase when you start adding more smart outlets to your home.
What do you think of the technology we mentioned? Have you tried them yourself? If so, what was your experience? If you have any thoughts or comments, I’d love to hear them.
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