Many products on the market these days can monitor your electricity consumption and save money on your power bills. The tough question is which one will work the best for you. While monitors do not save energy, they give you the knowledge of what you are using and what appliances are wasting electricity while turned off. When looking at devices that measure the electricity (electricity monitors) there are three main types: whole house meters, circuit meters, and plug meters. Any way you go, the first step in saving energy is finding out what you are spending and where you are spending it. Knowledge is power and knowledge is savings.
When deciding on which type of electricity monitor to use you should first determine what you want to focus on. If you are just looking at overall energy costs then a whole house meter is the smart choice. If you are renovating or are renting a space with a low number of circuits then a circuit meter will work best. If you are interested in saving money on your energy bill by finding what appliances are wasting the most or trying to determine if it is cost effective to replace an older appliance then a plug meter is the type of monitor you are looking for.
Whole house meters measure just what the name implies, the power flowing into the entire house. The electricity is typically measured at the utility meter. Circuit meters measure the power flowing through a single circuit, such as a kitchen or office, and is measured at the electrical panel. Plug meters plug into a wall socket and measure the power flowing through a single plug. Each type of electricity monitors has benefits and limitations. Depending on your goals and needs, you probably will only need one type of monitor.
More discussion of each type of electricity monitor in the next post. Up next: Whole House Meters.
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