Home Energy Monitor

See where every kilowatt actually goes.

Why bother

Most homeowners have NO idea what device drives their bill. An old fridge could cost $200/year extra. A failing AC could double its draw. Energy monitors find these hidden costs in weeks.

Sense Home Energy Monitor

$300

Top-rated. Identifies INDIVIDUAL devices automatically. "Your dryer is on", "Your old fridge uses 30% more power than average."

Best at finding hidden energy hogs.

Emporia Vue

$120

Cheaper Sense alternative. Tracks per-circuit (you connect to specific breakers).

Best value — clamps directly on breakers.

Span Smart Panel

$3,500+ installed

Replaces your home's electrical panel. Tracks every circuit, controls them, integrates with solar.

For new construction or panel replacement.

Smart plugs (Wyze, Kasa)

$10-15 each

Per-device tracking. Plug into a smart plug; monitor in app.

Best for one-device tracking (find power-hungry appliances).

Your utility's app

FREE

Most utilities now show daily/hourly usage in their app. Often free.

Already paying for it.

Things you\'ll discover

Your old basement fridge using $20/month for 6 cans of soda.
The hot water heater fighting a leak you didn\'t know about.
"Vampire" devices (TV, computer, microwave) drawing 5-15W each, 24/7.
An aging AC condenser drawing too much amperage = imminent failure.
Pool pump running unnecessarily.
Hidden circuit you forgot you had.

Install

Sense / Emporia — must be installed in your electrical panel. DIY if comfortable, OR pay an electrician $100-200.
Smart plugs — just plug in. No electrician needed.
Utility app — already there. Just sign in.

Where to start free

Sign in to your utility\'s app. Most show hour-by-hour usage now. Look for spikes. Cross-reference what you were doing — "8pm Sunday spike = oven for dinner". Builds intuition before spending on hardware.