With the way electricity prices are rising, it is likely that you are searching for methods to
reduce your energy consumption and cut down on your electricity expenses. But before you can
reduce your energy usage, you’ll need to figure out how much you consume. When you have an
understanding of how much energy your appliances and lighting are consuming, you can decide
how to upgrade to a new energy-efficient model.
There are different power consumption monitoring devices to help keep tabs on how many
kWh, it’s taking to run your home efficiently. So, this article will explore which devices can be
used to measure the amount of electricity used by any 120-volt devices, and how these devices
can help us take control of our energy usage and reduce our electricity bills.
Why It Is Important To Track Energy Usage?
Because most of your daily activities require the use of energy, monitoring how much power
your entire home users can help you:
- Identify areas where you can reduce your energy consumption.
- Allows you to identify which of your electronic devices uses the most power.
- Shows You the pattern of your electricity consumption over time
What Device Tells You How Much Electricity You Have Consumed?
While there is no universal approach to monitoring your energy usage, there are several models
that are commonly used. Here are some of them.
I. Smart Home Energy Monitors: Not only does smart home energy monitor your
power consumption, but will even show you the devices you use more frequently in your
house and the amount of power they consume. There are different options you can choose
from. Some of them can be fully integrated into your home network, while others operate
as solitary devices. As such, smart home energy monitor is a great investment as they
take the guesswork out of your calculations. With proper use, you can substantially decrease your energy usage. This, in turn, leads to a reduction in your electricity bill and an increase in your savings over time.
2. Smart Meters: These are the best electricity usage monitors because they provide the
most accurate way to monitor your energy consumption. As opposed to traditional analog
meters, which require manual reading, smart meters will provide you with detailed
energy consumption in real time without any help from a technician. Smart meters are
connected to in-home displays and web portals that can be accessed using your computer.
What Device Measures Electricity at Home?
Here are several devices you can use to monitor your home’s energy:
1. Smart Plugs for Individual Appliances: Smart plugs are an excellent choice if you
only want to monitor a handful of appliances. However, remember that smart plugs can
only be used for small devices such as hair dryers, or blenders and not large devices such as
fridges, treadmills, and washing machines.
2. Whole-House Electricity Usage Monitor: With a whole-house power monitor, you can
monitor the energy usage of all the appliances in your home. This device is equipped with
sensors that can be connected to either your home’s electrical panel or electricity meter
and track power usage by every appliance connected to the circuit.
3. Monitors With Appliance Recognition Features: You may be asking yourself, “How
do you measure how much electricity a device uses?” simply connect Whole-home energy monitors to individual circuits on the electrical panel. This is how you are able to measure electricity usage by an appliance.
Some monitors only offer combined information on power usage for all appliances
connected to a specific circuit. However, powerful whole-home monitors such as the
Smart Home Energy Monitor with 16 50A Circuit Level Sensors, come equipped with an
appliance recognition feature that enables them to track power consumption by every
the device plugged into your home’s sockets.
4. Energy Monitors That Connect to Mobile Apps: The more you know about your
home’s energy usage, the more informed decisions you can make. These insights can
inspire you to take measures to increase your energy efficiency. Nowadays, most electricity
monitors have apps that you can download and get instant updates on your home energy
consumption. These apps present the numbers in a way that is easy to see and instantly
gauge the amount of energy consumption at any time. They also allow you to:
- Track the cost of the energy you have already used.
- Track the production and consumption of solar electricity.
- Install programs and timers to regulate energy consumption.
Final Words
Monitoring your home electricity usage is the first step towards reducing wastage or curbing
excessive energy consumption. That’s why energy monitors are important. There are many types
available in the market, so you have plenty of options to choose from. By investing a small
amount of money and effort into monitoring your home’s energy use, you can lower your power
bill. So give it a try.
