Not all devices are created equal. Some sip a little power around the clock, while others draw much more than they really need to. If you haven’t already, take a walk around your home and start investigating.
The usual suspects? Smart home devices, TVs, DVRs, game consoles, and computers. But don’t stop there—bigger systems like hot water recirculators, garage door openers, and pool pumps can add up to a surprisingly large Always On load. And if your Always On bubble looks unusually high, it might be worth checking if something was accidentally left on.
Remember: while your Always On bubble updates every 24–48 hours, you can track down culprits any time. Here’s how.
1. Wait until it's quiet
Wait until your Power Meter is relatively flat. You may be able to use Watt Check (at the Dashboard tab) for some devices, or you can work out your estimates as follows:
2. Unplug
Unplug your suspected Always On device. In some cases, you may be able to just power down the device, but many Always On devices seem like they’re off while they’re still sucking power, so unplugging is often the best option.
3. Watch the Power Meter
Watch the wattage change in the Power Meter and record the difference. That’s how much energy that device was using.
4. Re-do
Replug your Always On device. Redo steps 2 and 3 a couple of times to get a more accurate average.
After you’ve made some changes, give your Always On bubble time to adjust. Check back in 24 to 48 hours to see how much you’ve shaved off of your average Always On load.
If you want to estimate costs, it takes some math but these formulas can help:
Watts = (amps) x (volts)
- Find out how much power a device needs to operate by referencing the product specifications or letting Sense tell you, once the device has been detected.
Kilowatt-hours = (watts) x (usage) / 1000
- Convert the watts to kilowatts and compute kWh hours by adding time; this means you can compute cost per day, week, month, year, or any time frame that interests you.
Cost = (kilowatt-hours) x (electricity rate)
- Now simply multiply the kWh by the rate your electricity provider charges (look at your bill and keep in mind that there may be different charges for different periods of time in some parts of the US).