Using monthly electric bills to keep track of your energy use can prove frustrating since appliances consume different amounts of energy at different times and the bill comes weeks after the electricity is consumed. However, a growing number of devices allow homeowners to track their electricity use in real time. This type of direct feedback on energy use typically helps homeowners reduce their energy consumption—and costs—by 5 to 15 percent.
A Whole House Meter connects either to your home’s circuit breaker box or electric utility meter, and wirelessly transmits data to a portable digital console. The console displays both your current electricity usage and the related cost based on your utility rate (which you program into the console). This information allows you to measure how your consumption changes throughout the day, such as when your refrigerator’s compressor turns on or when you turn your television off.
Whole-house meters vary in price from approximately $100 to $200 depending on their features. Some can measure consumption at two different rates (if your utility’s rate changes based on time of day or total usage), while others can factor in the effect of home energy systems such as rooftop solar panels that offset conventional electricity use.