The Power Meter provides an instantaneous, second-by-second visualization of your household energy consumption. As soon as your connection is established, the Meter begins generating a high-resolution graph of all active power usage. The dark orange line indicates the total real-time load of your home, while the various spikes and dips reflect specific devices as they cycle on, operate, or shut down.
In this article, we discuss how to use the Meter to learn about your home’s energy use and then to save with Sense. For information on using the meter with Solar, please see this article.
What is the Meter anyway?
Sense’s machine learning algorithms use your Meter data to learn the unique "electrical signature" of your appliances. Rather than just tracking total power draw, Sense analyzes the exact shape, phase, and frequency of the spike when a device cycles on or off.
Because it must filter out background electrical "noise" and account for multiple devices running at once, Sense needs to observe a lot of data over time before it can consistently identify and name a device in your home .
How to Read the Meter
- The dark orange line: Represents your home’s total real-time energy use.
- Spikes and dips: Indicate different devices in your home turning on, running, and turning off.
How to Use the Meter to Learn Your Home
Hunt Down Energy Hogs and "Vampire" Loads
Take a walk around your home and turn devices on and off, you'll immediately see the graph jump or dip. You can use this real-time feedback to find "vampire loads" (devices like DVRs, printers, or TVs that drain electricity even when turned off).
- Pro Tip: Unplug a suspected vampire device and watch the Meter graph for an instant drop. Do not use your "Always On" bubble for this quick test, as the Always On calculation is a 48-hour average and will not change instantly.
Spot Hidden or Failing Devices
If the graph spikes while no one is actively using electricity, look for autonomous devices like a sump pump, heater, or motion light. Monitoring these regular patterns can even help you spot a failing appliance (like a freezer working harder than usual to stay cool) before it breaks down.
Understand How Sense Detects Devices
Sense’s machine learning algorithms use this detailed Meter data to learn the unique "electrical signature" of your appliances. Sense doesn't just look at how much power is used; it analyzes the exact shape, phase, and frequency of the spike when a device turns on. Because it must filter through all the other electrical "noise" in your home, Sense needs to observe a lot of data over time before it can consistently detect and name a device.
Navigation & Additional Features
- Review Historical Data: Swipe right, pinch, or zoom on the Meter screen to scroll back through time. You can cross-reference spikes on the graph with the Now screen to see exactly what time a recognized device turned on or off.