Smart gadgets that actually cut down your electric bill

The thermostat scheduling and remote adjustments are probably doing more work than the novelty gadgets, especially if they prevent heating or cooling an empty house. An energy monitor is a useful next step before adding more smart plugs. Whole-home models can show when usage spikes, while circuit-level monitors can narrow it down to things like HVAC, water heating, or a dryer.

They can also expose standby loads that are easy to overlook, such as entertainment gear, desktop equipment, or chargers. That makes it easier to target the few loads worth scheduling instead of putting every device on a timer. For anyone reading this later, check whether the monitor supports the electrical panel and local installation rules, and compare its readings with the utility meter before trusting the app’s savings estimates.

Comparing the monitor with the utility meter is a useful sanity check, but it can’t really validate the app’s projected savings on its own. That estimate usually depends on comparing different periods, so weather, occupancy, and even how often the HVAC ran may have changed.

For a cleaner check, compare similar billing periods, ideally using heating or cooling degree days from the utility bill. A monitor that reads accurately can still report impressive “savings” simply because the following month was milder or the house was empty more often.

- The weather and occupancy point is especially important for HVAC savings. A cleaner test is to change one control at a time, such as adding a setback schedule, while keeping occupancy and other thermostat settings roughly comparable.
- Measure the result over several weeks, or across similar heating/cooling periods, rather than treating one billing cycle as proof. That helps separate the schedule’s effect from a mild-weather month or an unusually empty house.
- The same approach works for smart plugs: test one meaningful load, record its runtime and energy use, then decide whether the automation is worth keeping.

For the smart-plug test, I’d calculate net savings rather than just the appliance’s reduced runtime. The plug itself draws a small standby load, and any subscription fee or eventual replacement cost can matter for low-power devices. A timer that cuts a meaningful overnight load may pay off, but automating a tiny charger could use nearly as much value as it saves. Checking the plug’s idle wattage and annualizing the energy and costs should make that trade-off clearer.