The BBC has a feature article about how people in the UK are building their own energy-saving gadgets, such as thermostats that check the weather forecast and doodads that monitor the efficiency of domestic combi-boilers and adjust flow instead of temperature. released. rate.
Dan Medhurst, who lives near Reading and works in the IT department, installed a sensor on the front of the electricity meter. Track the meter’s pulsing LED to reveal how much power is flowing. Data is sent wirelessly to Home Assistant and is always available on your smartphone or computer.
This means Medhurst can spot a spike in usage and pinpoint the appliance that caused it based on when it happened. For example, after realizing how much electricity a tumble dryer consumes, I also decided to raise the temperature of the refrigerator while keeping the contents cool enough (below 5°C).
Otherwise, there are electricity usage monitors you can buy, such as the Emporia full-home model. [Amazon] Recommended by Reddit and others. I’ve read in the past that they don’t usually save people money (as in restaurant menu calorie counts, you still have to eat), but I got the cheap One (Amazon’s this one is very similar) identified an old plasma TV…juice lingering like tomorrow. I think identifying that one device paid for itself within a few weeks, but of course it didn’t pay for the new OLED TV that replaced it.
