How Can I Track My Energy?

How Can I Track My Energy?

We currently exist in a time where ecological sustainability and energy efficiency is becoming increasingly important to homeowners. Electricity utilized in the home is the predominant way energy is consumed.

Sustainability starts with monitoring consumption, and tracking energy in the house is the ideal way to achieve greater energy efficiency.

Here we will show ways to monitor your energy in a time where greater energy efficiency is so important.

Manual Energy Monitoring

On the exterior of every home, there is a meter that monitors electricity usage. This is the unit with the glass dome on the side of your home. This power meter monitors your home’s kilowatt usage per hour (kWh).

If you have a traditional meter, you will see four dials that resemble clock faces numbered from zero to nine.  

Begin by writing down each number indicated by the four or five dials, and that is your initial reading. To track your energy use, you will need to determine the amount of time you would like to monitor (day, week, month, etc.), and return to write down the number at the predetermined time. Subtract the number from the initial read from the current read to determine your kWh for that period.

Smart Meters

Smart meters are similar to the traditional electricity meters; consisting of the same glass dome. The significant difference between the two is that the dials on the face have been replaced with a digital LCD display.

Smart meters provided by the power company are connected directly to the power company’s computer system. This allows the company to monitor your energy usage without having to send someone to read the meter monthly.

Smart meters usually cycle through a series of windows showing the power usage and demands. For details about reading your particular smart meter, contact your meter’s manufacturer.

Smart Plugs

Some appliances use more power than others, and now it is possible to monitor appliances individually. Smart plug technology allows you to control and monitor any appliance that is plugged into it.

The device is like a plug adapter that the appliance is plugged into. The smart plug device is then plugged into the electrical socket. Smart plugs are equipped with Wi-Fi technology that lets the device communicate with an app that controls and monitors the appliance it is engaged with.

There are a variety of smart plugs with varying features, currently on the market.

Energy Monitoring Software

It is now also possible to monitor your energy use with software technology. Utility bill management software is used to help you track and manage your household energy consumption.

This type of software is perfect if you want a real-time glimpse at your energy consumption at any point in time. This software also works in conjunction with smart meter technology.

Conclusion

Keeping track of your energy use is a fundamental way to become conscious of your ecological footprint. In knowing how much energy you consume, you can take steps to become more efficient.

Whether you use manual or digital methods to monitor your power consumption, tracking your energy is the key to sustainability.