With the introduction of smart plug integrations and the Always On > Stats feature, many users have asked how we calculate Always On usage—and how it differs from Standby.
These definitions get a little technical, but here’s a clear overview. (For simplified explanations, check out Always On: What Is It?)
Always On
Always On is the baseline power your home uses all the time, even when it looks like everything is “off.”
How it’s calculated:
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Sense looks at wattage on each of your main lines over the past 24–48 hours
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It finds the lowest consistent power level (the 1% bin of the wattage distribution) for each main
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Those values are added together to create your Always On number
This value updates every half second, but since it’s based on up to two days of history, you won’t usually see major real-time changes.
Always On for Smart Plug Devices
For devices connected through a smart plug or dedicated circuit monitor, we also estimate their “Always On-ness.”
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Calculated from 24 hours of power draw
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Updated every few hours
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Determined by looking at high-resolution (1 second) wattage data and identifying the 1% bin of its usage distribution
This helps identify how much energy that individual device is consistently consuming.
Standby
Standby only applies to smart plug or dedicated circuit devices.
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Always On = the lowest level of continuous energy use (your “vampire load”)
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Standby = somewhere between that baseline and the device’s normal usage
Unlike Always On, Standby can be manually configured by you in the Sense app. That way, you can decide how you want these devices represented based on your own usage patterns. Learn more here.
Why It Matters
Together, Always On and Standby give you a fuller picture of hidden energy use in your home—helping you spot waste, make smarter upgrades, and ultimately save money