Energy monitoring systems allow you to see how much energy your business is consuming, and what it’s costing you. That way, you can manage your habits and begin to change the way you function in a bid to cut down on costs and do better by the environment. Find out how to monitor electricity usage below and motivate your employees to save energy today.
Learning how to track energy usage with a monitor is easy – it’s all right in front of you in a simple display. But how do energy monitors work?
Energy monitoring systems include a sensor, transmitter and a handheld or portable display. The sensor is attached to the main line of electricity that goes into your meter. The transmitter then sends regular updates on your energy usage back to the monitor. This is typically displayed on the screen in either kWh, cost or carbon emissions, depending on what you choose.
What’s the difference between smart meters and energy monitors?
If you want to learn how to monitor electricity usage, no matter what the reasons, there are several devices you can use – but they’re not all the same.
Smart meters
Smart meters will automatically send accurate readings to your energy supplier to ensure your bills are true to your energy consumption. Find out more about smart meters in our guide.
Energy monitors
An energy monitoring system is not a substitute for your energy meter, it just provides you with additional information to help you manage your consumption.
Prepayment meters
These energy monitors display a meter reading and help you monitor energy consumption, but also have to be topped up with credit. These are typically used in homes or buildings where the owner has fallen into debt with their supplier and are used to help people budget their consumption.
As with a lot of electronic devices, you get what you pay for when it comes to energy monitoring systems. So, if you want more accurate readings, you should probably look to pay a little more for your energy monitor. But here are just a few of the pros and cons of using them to track your electricity usage:
Pros
• You and your employees will inevitably become more aware of how much energy you are using on a day-to-day basis.
• Thanks to the real-time display of how much you’re spending and how much energy you’re using, you may be more inclined to make sustainable choices – like swapping to renewable business energy sources.
• They provide a much better idea of how much you spend a day on energy – so you can budget accordingly and make cuts where necessary.
• As they display real-time information regarding your consumption, energy monitors can often point out when you’ve accidentally left a device switched on – that way, you can turn it off and make sure it’s not costing you any extra money.
• Energy monitors may prompt you to consider switching out some of your devices and appliances, particularly if they’re high-energy, and change up how you use them. For example, boiling a kettle – if you’re just making a drink for yourself, don’t fill it up too high as this will use a lot more energy than it needs to.
Cons
• The data is taken from a sensor, rather than directly from the electric meter, so it’s not typically 100% accurate.
• An energy monitor won’t automatically send your meter readings to your energy supplier (unlike a smart meter), so you’ll still have to remember to do this yourself. Just set a monthly reminder so you don’t forget!
• Energy monitoring systems are great, but they won’t save you money on your own. They just provide the details – it’s how you use that information that will help you cut costs.
And there you have it – now you know how to monitor electricity usage, it’s time to start taking action. Set up your own energy monitoring system and keep track of your consumption.
Don’t like what you see? Start making savings for your business and compare business energy quotes with Utility Bidder. We’ll evaluate your options and compare prices from over 27 UK suppliers to find the best solution for your business. Contact us today to speak to one of our energy saving experts.
