How can I track my electricity consumption for each device separately?

Are you wondering how much your old fridge consumes, or how much an electric charge actually costs? Whether you have a smart meter or an analogue meter, there are now solutions available for precisely monitoring and managing the energy consumption of each device.

With an energy management system

If you have a smart meter, you can connect a Customer Energy Management System (CEMS) to it. These systems generally consist of one or more peripherals, coupled with consumption analysis and management software.

In addition to tracking your overall consumption, some suppliers allow you to track your injection or your electricity consumption by device. However, this requires investment in additional individual peripherals. Indeed, it is not possible to track individual consumption by device using only the P1 port on the meter.

There are also systems that enable you to monitor all your consumption on a single platform, whether it be electricity, gas, water or fuel.

Smart Plug plugged into a household socket.

Actively managing my electricity consumption

Energy management systems also open the door to active management of your electricity consumption. Here are a few possibilities.

• Define a list of devices to be disconnected first when overconsumption is detected.
• Receive notifications when devices are switched on or off.
• Buy and sell electricity based on dynamic rates.
• Smartly control the start-up of devices such as batteries or charging points.

How do I choose an energy management system?

To choose the right energy management system, it is important to take certain factors into account. Here is some advice to help you make your choice.

1. Features: Identify the features you need, such as tracking by device, injection tracking or forecasting and optimisation tools.
2. Compatibility: Ensure that the CEMS is compatible with your existing equipment. These systems usually require an Internet connection (via WiFi or cable) or other communication protocols such as Zigbee or Z-Wave.
3. User interface: Opt for an intuitive and easy-to-use interface. Ensure that the system offers customisable dashboards.
4. Scalability: Choose a system that can adapt to your changing needs. Check for the possibility to add new features or new equipment.
5. Security: Ensure the system offers robust security features. Check its compliance with current cybersecurity standards.
6. Support and maintenance: Find out about after-sales service and technical assistance. Check the frequency of system updates.
7. Total cost of ownership: Estimate not only the initial cost, but also the maintenance and upgrade costs.  In addition to their purchase cost, some tools require paid applications or cloud services.

With a power meter

Do you simply want to occasionally know the power consumption of a few specific devices? The power meter or energy meter is a simple and practical solution for tracking the individual consumption of a device.

The power meter is plugged in between the socket and the electrical device. You can view the device's consumption directly on the power meter's display.

Smart power meters, which are more sophisticated, also enable the use of an application to view data or automation functions.

Via the electrical panel

You can opt for a smart electrical panel to measure the energy consumed by different circuits in the home (electric heating, air conditioning, domestic hot water, power sockets, lighting, other consumption).

A module needs to be installed on your electrical panel and connected to your Internet box. You can then place contactors on the terminals you want to monitor. The data can then be accessed from your smartphone or computer.

Consumption tracking module placed on the electrical panel.