Do you cringe each time you get an electricity bill? Most of us open our power bills to see the total power usage and the amount we owe. Often, we are left wondering how we have used so much power. Would you like to have complete visibility of your power usage? The ability to see exactly how much power each appliance is actually using and which ones are sucking up way too much energy? Well, there is technology that allows you to do just that.
‘Home energy monitors’ are devices that provide real-time and historic electricity usage data, allowing you to see when and how you are using electricity in your home. They can be programmed with a pre-set usage level, activating a warning when you reach or are close to reaching that level. They can also calculate how much your electricity usage is costing you.
Energy monitors are able to automatically identify and distinguish between lots of devices with differing energy profiles, allowing you to micromanage consumption better. Very quickly you will be able to recognise those appliances that are churning through far too much energy and either switch them off, limit their usage or replace them; effectively allowing you to better manager/ budget for your power usage.
With the ability to check your power usage from your phone, having an energy monitor is also a great way you can check your power usage even when you are not home, so no more wondering if you left the air conditioner or the oven on, you can check your phone to find out straight away.
Types of Home Energy Monitors
There are a few different types of energy monitors designed to suit different meter types and budgets. Monitors can be entirely online, or wirelessly displayed on a portable screen you can place anywhere in your home. If you have a smart meter, you can get set up with energy monitoring fairly quickly, but if you have a traditional meter, you’ll need an electrician to attach a sensor to your meter. If you already have a smart meter, you should call your energy provider to check whether you have access to online monitoring through them. Retailer monitoring portals can be useful as they usually include bill predictions to help you budget.
Technology today allows us greater transparency on how we use our electricity. Investing in a home energy monitor may give you more insight into your energy consumption and help you identify how you can reduce or better manage your energy usage.
