Finding phantom loads with an energy-monitoring smart plug

What you’ll need

• The plug's app
• A 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network
• A notebook or phone note

Step by step

1. 1

   Pair the plug and name it clearly

   Name it after the device, not the room — 'TV', 'Space heater', 'Office charger' — so the logs make sense later.

2. 2

   Measure the standby draw

   Plug in the device, switch it fully off, and read the watts. Anything above roughly 1W adds up over a year.

3. 3

   Measure the in-use draw

   Run the device normally for a day and check the kWh total. This is the number to compare against your bill's rate.

4. 4

   Move the plug around

   Spend two days per device and work through the suspects: TV setup, games console, printer, coffee machine, old fridge.

5. 5

   Schedule the worst offenders

   For devices that do not need standby, set an overnight off schedule and check the following week's kWh.

Energy-saving tips

• Multiply watts by 8.76 to get approximate kWh per year for something left on continuously.
• Do not schedule off anything that needs to stay powered — DVRs, network gear, medical devices.
• Check the plug's amp rating before using it with a space heater or anything with a motor.