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Five settings are worth checking when household energy bills seem unusually high: your thermostat schedule, thermostat fan switch, water-heater temperature, standby-power controls, and connected appliance schedules. This is a practical checklist based on U.S. Department of Energy and ENERGY STAR guidance—not a five-item ranking issued by a panel of experts. Heating and cooling account for about 43% of a typical home utility bill, according to the Department of Energy, so start with your HVAC controls.
1. Thermostat schedule and temperature setback
A thermostat may keep heating or cooling the home at its usual comfort setting while everyone is away or asleep. Check its schedule, including weekday and weekend periods, and look for overrides that prevent an intended setback from taking effect.
The U.S. Department of Energy says that turning the thermostat back 7–10°F for eight hours a day can save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling. That is a general estimate, not a guaranteed result for an individual home. The DOE’s programmable-thermostat guidance also cautions that setbacks have generally not been recommended for heat pumps, although newer products may make them cost-effective. Follow the instructions for your system and thermostat.
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ENERGY STAR-certified smart thermostats can schedule changes for sleep and away periods; certification is based on field data. If you are considering a replacement, check that it is compatible with your HVAC system before buying.
#1 Best Overall
- SAFETY YOU CAN TRUST WITH UL CERTIFICATION: With Emporia Energy, your home energy monitoring is safe, reliable, and certified. The Emporia Vue is UL Listed, meaning it has met rigorous safety standards for electrical products in the U.S. and Canada. This certification ensures that every component has been thoroughly tested to prevent hazards, such as overheating, short-circuiting, or fire, offering you peace of mind as you manage your home’s energy consumption.
- INSTALLS IN CIRCUIT PANEL of most homes with clamp-on sensors. Supports Single phase, Single-split phase, and 2-wire systems. 3-wire systems; 3-phase, 4-wire Wye systems with earthed (TN or TT) neutral (no-Delta) are supported with an additional 200A sensor (sold separately).
- 24/7 ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING: Automate, manage and control your home's real power anywhere, anytime to prevent costly repairs, conserve energy, and save costs. Monitor solar / net metering. PROTECTED BY A 1-YEAR WARRANTY.
- LOWER YOUR ELECTRIC BILL: Configure settings in the Emporia Energy App to automate energy management for time of use, peak demand, excess solar, and rewards programs. You can even see live reporting and invaluable savings opportunities instantly. Gauge real-time spending and get actionable notifications and automated energy management to help you reduce costs.
- REAL-TIME ENERGY DATA: REQUIRES 2.4 GHz WIFI WITH AN INTERNET CONNECTION to monitor energy use with iPhone / Android / Web app. Vue sensors collect energy data and are accurate from ±2%. The Vue is UL and CE Listed for your safety. 1 second data is only available in the app (when actively open) and retained 3 hours. Minute and hour data are retained in the cloud. 1 minute data is retained 7 days, 1 hour data is retained indefinitely. Export cloud data whenever you want in the app.
2. Thermostat fan switch
Check whether the fan control is set to Auto or On. DOE’s 2022 Energy Saver guide says: “Set the fan switch on your thermostat to ‘Auto’ unless an indoor air quality professional has set up your system to operate continuously for health reasons.”
Do not change a continuous-fan setting when your system manufacturer or an indoor-air-quality professional specifies otherwise. If you are unsure why the fan runs continuously, check the equipment instructions or ask a qualified technician before changing it.
Rank #2
- ⚡ EASY INSTALLATION: Installs in circuit panel of most homes with clamp-on sensors. Supports single-phase up to 240VAC line-neutral; single, split-phase 120/240VAC; and three-phase up to 415Y/240VAC (no Delta). The branch lines can automatically match different phases and have no restrictions in terms of quantity and voltage.Panels with access only to busbars will need flexible sensors available from SEM-Meter.
- ⚡ ENERGY MONITORING ANYTIME, ANYWHERE: Monitor your home's real power anywhere, anytime to prevent costly repairs, conserve energy, and save costs. Monitor solar / net metering. Light commercial 3 phase option available as a separate bundle. Protected by a 1-year warranty.
- ⚡ VARIOUS ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE MONITORING: Comes with 16 50A sensors to accurately monitor your air conditioner, furnace, water heater, washer, dryer, range, etc.
- ⚡ LOWER YOUR ELECTRIC BILL: SEM-Meter measures real-time spending and gets actionable notifications to understand where savings can be made, both to lower your electric bill and to conserve energy and protect the planet’s resources. Be an environmentalist.
- ⚡ REAL-TIME ENERGY DATA: Connect SEM-Meter device via 2.4GHz WiFi to monitor energy usage, with an accuracy range of 1%. View usage in real time through Android/Apple software. Statistics of power usage in now/day/week/month/year format: the validity period of hourly exported data is 90 days, and the exported data of day/month/year data is permanent, available at any time Export from application.
3. Water-heater temperature
DOE and the Federal Energy Management Program commonly point consumers to 120°F (49°C) as a household water-heater setting. The FEMP checklist phrases it as: “Turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120°F).” Check the unit manual and account for household needs and professional guidance before adjusting the temperature.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →DOE’s 2022 Energy Saver guide says water heating typically accounts for 18% of home energy use. It also estimates that insulating hot-water pipes can save an additional 3%–4% per year on water-heating costs. Those figures describe different things—energy use and potential cost savings—and should not be added together.
Rank #3
- EM16P MODEL & LOCAL CONTROL & DATA PRIVACY: Access your home energy monitor data locally via Built-in Web UI, Open API, and MQTT without relying on cloud services. Unlike cloud-dependent monitors, Refoss ensures your data stays within your home network. Direct local access protects your privacy while giving you 100% full control of your home energy system.
- NATIVE HOME ASSISTANT & OPENCLAW AI: Experience seamless Native Home Assistant integration right out of the box—no firmware flashing or complex coding required. Featuring ✨NEW✨ OpenClaw Support, it enables AI-driven automation for smarter, real-time energy management and seamless smart home control.
- MAXIMIZE SOLAR & ZERO FEED-IN AUTOMATION: Designed for solar homes, the power monitor works with the Refoss app and Home Assistant to automatically use surplus solar power. Appliances like EV chargers, washing machines, and water heaters are powered during midday peaks, maximizing solar self-consumption and reducing low-value electricity feed-in to the grid. Optimizes usage and reduces bills.
- REAL-TIME MONITORING & ±1% ACCURACY: Monitor voltage, current, active power, and power factor of major appliances. Provides ±1% accuracy (200A: 2–200A; 60A: 1–60A) and ±2% at low current. Daily data stored up to 5 years and exportable. With no subscriptions or hidden fees, you get deep historical insights to help you identify every energy-saving opportunity and save 10–20% on monthly bills.
- SMART ALERTS & CIRCUIT-LEVEL CONTROL: Set usage targets for each individual circuit and receive instant alerts when appliances exceed normal consumption. Refoss app supports automation and peak management to optimize schedules, reduce peaks, and improve efficiency. Real-time electricity usage monitor for circuit-level insights.
4. Always-on and standby loads
Some electronics use electricity when they are inactive or in standby mode, but the amount varies by product. Natural Resources Canada estimates standby power can account for 5%–10% of a household electricity bill in Canada; that figure should not be treated as a universal U.S. estimate.
To investigate individual plug-in devices, an electricity usage monitor can measure selected plug loads and help identify products drawing power while idle. It cannot measure hardwired equipment such as many HVAC or water-heating systems. ENERGY STAR’s smart home energy management system criteria include plug-load monitoring or control that can report power or energy consumption.
Rank #4
- SAFE & RELIABLE: Meross smart energy consumption monitor is ETL‑certified and compliant with the UL 61010 testing standard, ensuring safe and reliable home energy monitoring. Works with most US homes: single-phase 2-wire systems, single-split phase 3-wire systems, and 3-phase 4-wire Wye systems with earthed (TN or TT) neutral (no Delta). Easy clamp‑on design installs in minutes. Invert CT readings in the app—no physical flipping. PROTECTED BY 2-YEAR WARRANTY for worry-free use.
- TRACK ENERGY & CUT BILLS: Track power, voltage, current, and power factor within ±1% accuracy. Clear power usage and cost charts by minute/hour/day/month/year help you easily understand your energy use. Store up to 5 years of data and export hourly reports for deep analysis. Most users save 10–20% on energy costs by spotting energy hogs and getting accurate insights to cut their bills.
- 24/7 ENERGY MONITORING + SMART ALERTS: Real-time home energy monitoring from anywhere. Set custom alerts for unusual usage spikes and threshold breaches for total peace of mind. Catch issues early with no subscriptions, no cloud lock‑in, and no hidden fees — all built-in. Supports 2 main circuits (200A) + 16 branch circuits (60A), making it perfect for precise, circuit-level energy monitoring.
- MAXIMIZE YOUR SOLAR SAVINGS (HOME ASSISTANT): This solar energy monitor integrates with Home Assistant to detect solar surplus and automatically power EV chargers, water heaters, and other high‑use appliances. Stop wasting solar energy—use it yourself and cut your electricity bill faster. The perfect home energy monitor for solar homes.
- LOCAL DATA, FULL PRIVACY, NO SUBSCRIPTIONS: Connect seamlessly with Home Assistant for advanced energy automation. All energy data stays local—no cloud, no delays, no privacy concerns. Take full control of your home energy, reduce waste, and protect your privacy. Supports Open API and Web Control.
5. Connected appliance and schedule controls
Connected refrigerators and pool pumps are among the product categories ENERGY STAR lists. Their controls may let you monitor or manage operation, but there is no single most-efficient setting or schedule that applies to every appliance or pool.
Review any schedule or control that may be running longer or colder than needed. Then check the appliance manual and, for pool equipment, follow applicable safety and sanitation requirements. The sources cited here do not establish a universal refrigerator temperature or pool-pump run time.
Best Value
- SAFETY YOU CAN TRUST WITH UL CERTIFICATION: With Emporia Energy, your home energy monitoring is safe, reliable, and certified. The Emporia Vue is UL Listed, meaning it has met rigorous safety standards for electrical products in the U.S. and Canada. This certification ensures that every component has been thoroughly tested to prevent hazards, such as overheating, short-circuiting, or fire, offering you peace of mind as you manage your home’s energy consumption.
- INSTALLS IN CIRCUIT PANEL of most homes with clamp-on sensors. Supports Single phase, Single-split phase, and 2-wire systems. 3-wire systems; 3-phase, 4-wire Wye systems with earthed (TN or TT) neutral (no-Delta) are supported with an additional 200A sensor (sold separately).
- 24/7 ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING: Automate, manage and control your home's real power anywhere, anytime to prevent costly repairs, conserve energy, and save costs. Monitor solar / net metering. PROTECTED BY A 1-YEAR WARRANTY.
- LOWER YOUR ELECTRIC BILL: Configure settings in the Emporia Energy App to automate energy management for time of use, peak demand, excess solar, and rewards programs. You can even see live reporting and invaluable savings opportunities instantly. Gauge real-time spending and get actionable notifications and automated energy management to help you reduce costs.
- REAL-TIME ENERGY DATA: REQUIRES 2.4 GHz WIFI WITH AN INTERNET CONNECTION to monitor energy use with iPhone / Android / Web app. Vue sensors collect energy data and are accurate from ±2%. The Vue is UL and CE Listed for your safety. 1 second data is only available in the app (when actively open) and retained 3 hours. Minute and hour data are retained in the cloud. 1 minute data is retained 7 days, 1 hour data is retained indefinitely. Export cloud data whenever you want in the app.
Which checks should you make first?
Start with the controls that affect major household energy uses: the thermostat schedule and water heating. That is a practical priority, not a universal savings ranking. DOE identifies heating and cooling as about 43% of a typical home utility bill and water heating as typically 18% of home energy use; those percentages have different denominators, so they are not directly comparable.
- Review HVAC schedules and setbacks, especially for times the home is empty or occupants are asleep.
- Check the thermostat fan switch, but preserve settings required by your system or indoor-air-quality professional.
- Confirm the water-heater setting against the unit instructions and household needs.
- Use a plug-in monitor if you want to examine selected electronics; it will not cover hardwired systems.
- Check appliance schedules against manufacturer guidance and any relevant pool requirements.
To see whether a change affects your usage, compare utility or meter data across comparable billing periods, taking account of weather and occupancy. DOE recommends asking your local utility or state energy office about a home energy audit; available programs vary by location.
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