What’s at the heart of the modern household? That would be energy. It powers your fridge, PC, air conditioner, gaming console, home security system, and all those chargers plugged into every socket.
In other words, energy is the unseen force that keeps a household and all its members running. However, energy isn’t free, of course. Every item you plug into your outlets has a price reflected on your monthly electric bill.
If you’re ready to take charge of your household’s energy usage, the first step is learning how to monitor your home energy usage.
Why Monitoring Home Energy Usage Matters
If you don’t keep a close eye on your household energy usage, it can be easy to fall into “energy creep” and you’ll pay more than necessary each month. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the average household’s monthly energy bill was nearly $144 a month in 2024, or $1,728 per year.
That doesn’t tell the whole story. Energy costs range dramatically depending on where you live. For example, while Utah residents enjoy an average energy bill of under $85 a month, Hawaiians have to fork out over $213 a month on average.
Also, keep in mind that energy costs have a tendency to rise each year. The best way to save money on your monthly energy bill is by actively monitoring your home energy.
Smart Devices That Manage and Track Home Energy Consumption
If you’re ready to monitor home energy use, the good news is that today’s technology has made the task much simpler and more accurate than ever before.
Smart Plugs
To learn how much energy specific devices and appliances are using in your home, smart plugs are a great tool. As their name suggests, you plug them into your outlet and then plug the device or appliance into the smart plug.
The smart plugs display exactly how much energy that specific device is using, making them a cost-efficient way to test individual devices in your house. They’re also excellent at identifying “vampire appliances,” which continue to use energy even when they’re turned off.
Whole-Home Energy Monitors
To get a bigger picture of your home’s energy usage, invest in a whole-home energy monitor. These systems connect to your electrical panel and track your energy use across your entire home.
Most systems come with smartphone apps that let you monitor your home’s energy consumption no matter where you are. For instance, you’ll be able to see if you forgot to turn off your air conditioning before leaving for vacation.
Whole-home energy monitors can cost anywhere from $100 for a very basic model to $400 or more for a premium model. Some of the pricier models also monitor your solar panel array and can track the energy consumption of individual devices.
Home Energy Management Systems
If it’s time to get serious about energy use, your most comprehensive solution is a home energy management system. This complete system is ideal for homeowners who already have solar panels and battery storage or are planning to install them.
The key challenge of a monitoring device is that you only get the data and have to change how you live in order to lower energy bills. A home energy management system coordinates power sources so you don’t have to change your lifestyle.
A home energy management system integrates multiple power sources, including solar panels, battery storage, and the electrical grid. It offers detailed monitoring and control over your home’s energy use, allowing your life to continue as normal while slashing energy bills through automatic energy management and optimization
For example, these systems can automatically:
●Optimize when to use energy stored in your batteries versus grid power.
●Help you take advantage of time-of-use electricity rates to lower electricity bills.
●Provide backup power during outages.
These systems aren’t cheap, but they can save you money over time by fully and automatically optimizing your energy usage. Think of it like having a personal energy manager who works 24/7 to keep your costs down and the lights on.
How to Analyze Your Energy Usage Data
Once you’ve got your home energy monitoring devices set up, it’s time to dig into the data. Don’t worry. You don’t need to be a math whiz to make sense of the numbers. Today’s devices make it easier than ever to figure out what’s happening with your energy usage.
Understanding Kilowatt Hours (kWh)
One key metric that you’ll need to understand as you begin to monitor your home energy is the kilowatt hour (kWh). The kWh is the “currency” of electricity (no pun intended). It’s how your utility company measures and bills you for energy use.
Without getting too into the weeds, a kWh is the amount of energy used by a 1,000-watt appliance running for one hour. For example, running a 100-watt light bulb for 10 hours will use 1 kWh.
Reading Your Energy Dashboard
Most whole-home energy monitors and home energy management systems show your usage data in a user-friendly dashboard, either through a smartphone app or a website.
Here’s what to look for:
●Real-time usage: This shows how much power your home is using right now, measured in kilowatts.
●Daily patterns: Look for spikes and dips in energy usage throughout the day. You’ll probably notice higher usage in the morning (coffee maker, shower, getting ready) and evening (cooking, lights, TV time).
●Weekly and monthly trends: Search for longer-term patterns in your energy usage. Do you use more energy on the weekends or during certain weeks when you’re working from home?
●Seasonal changes: You’ll probably notice higher usage during summer (air conditioning) and winter (heating).
●The big three: Keep an eye on the three items that tend to use the most energy in homes – heating and cooling, water heating, and large appliances (such as your EV charger, dryer, and dishwasher).
Tips to Reduce Energy Waste and Save Money
Now that you’re actively monitoring and analyzing your energy usage, it’s time to take action. This is the most satisfying part of the process, especially when your energy bill begins dropping each month.
Here’s what you can do:
●Unplug vampire appliances that drain energy even when they’re off.
●Take advantage of time-of-use rates. Use an energy management system to shift your heavy-duty appliances, such as EV charger, washer, and dryer to off-peak hours when energy prices are cheapest and use stored power when electricity price spikes.
●Adjust your thermostat. Try setting your thermostat 2-3 degrees higher in the summer and lower in the winter.
●Upgrade energy hogs. Identify the biggest energy hogs in your household, like that old fridge in the garage, and replace them with energy-efficient models.
●Use smart power strips to automatically cut power to devices in standby mode.
●Set daily and monthly energy targets using your monitoring system.
●Track your improvements after making changes to stay motivated and to see which changes are giving you the biggest bang for your buck.
Choosing the Best Home Energy Monitoring and Management System
Homeowners who are serious about monitoring home energy should consider investing in a whole-home energy management and battery storage system. These systems don’t just serve as a home energy monitor; they actively optimize your total energy usage while also giving you backup power during outages.
Ready to overhaul your household’s energy usage? The FranklinWH System offers both best-in-class battery storage and our aGate controller, an advanced energy management system (EMS) device, which automatically optimizes each of your power sources. Our accompanying FranklinWH App gives you real-time monitoring of your entire energy system. With universal compatibility and professional support, the FranklinWH System can help you dramatically reduce or even eliminate your monthly electric bills altogether.
