Smart Plug Energy Monitoring: Real-World Savings in 2026
The first time I plugged a monitoring smart plug into the back of my entertainment console and let it run for a month, the data made me genuinely angry. Not at the appliances — at myself, for assuming I knew where my electricity was going. The receiver I rarely used was pulling more power in standby than the soundbar drew while playing music. The “energy efficient” mini PC I left running for occasional file access was costing more per year than the refrigerator in my garage. ...