Smart energy conservation starts with knowing how much energy you are using, and what for.

Find energy 'vampires' first of all. They are devices like phone chargers, computer cords, gaming consoles, DVRs, TVs, and even coffee pots that draw small amounts of power even when off, and can together add up to as much as 5-10% of your monthly electricity bill in this 'standby mode,' according to  Sense Energy Monitors. Unplug these devices when not in use, or use plugin on/off switches, power strips, and surge protectors. These devices keep electronics at the ready but truly powered off.

What about appliances that need to stay plugged in?

Make sure they're ENERGY STAR products. When buying new electronic products, look for the ENERGY STAR label, which indicates federal certification of energy efficiency. ENERGY STAR products have been designed to waste less energy in standby mode.

Wondering if an appliance is still functioning efficiently? Connect it to the  Kill A Watt®, and it will count consumption by the Kilowatt-hour, same as your local utility. You can calculate your electrical expenses by day, week, month, even an entire year. These devices also check the quality of your power by monitoring voltage, line frequency, and power factor.

Want to monitor all energy electricity usage in your home at all times? Invest in a Sense Home Energy Monitor, which monitors everything that is drawing electricity. It sends the information from your breaker panel to your smartphone, using only a set of sensors installed in the panel. Check out this page for the many ways in which Sense users have been able to catch major power sinks and failures, fix them, and save energy and money! For safety, please use a licensed electrician to carry out proper installation.