As the seasons change, so do our energy habits. Devices we relied on all winter are getting a break, while others are gearing up for warmer days ahead. Now’s the perfect time to review your Sense data and see how your usage shifts—and Watt Check is here to help!
You’ll find Watt Check in the Dashboard tab, right under your Usage and Compare reports. If you haven’t tried it yet, now’s a great time to run some tests. Here’s what I’m doing:
- Outdoor lighting: Before rehanging my deck lights, I’ll use Watt Check and make sure they’re all LED—no need to pay for costly incandescent bulbs. I might even swap some out for solar-powered strands and compare costs.
- Space heater: My deck heater isn’t yet detected by Sense, but I know it’s an energy hog. Watt Check will help me track its costs, and I may add a smart plug to monitor it more closely.
- Fans vs. A/C: I always use fans to cut down on air conditioning, but I’ve never measured exactly how much they save me. This year, I’ll put a dollar amount on those savings—maybe even justify buying another fan!
- Vacuuming costs: Sense hasn’t learned my vacuums yet, but I’m curious to see how much they add to my bill. Could be useful if I decide to upgrade.
For seasonal and irregular-use devices, Watt Check helps me estimate costs, set Goals, and compare numbers year over year. I’ll also be keeping an eye on my Other category under Devices to track how my energy use fluctuates.
I’ll report back this summer on what I learn!
In the meantime, we’d love to hear how you use Watt Check—especially for those hard-to-track devices. Did you use the Meter tab? Use Smart Plugs or Dedicated Circuit Monitoring? Let us know what insights you’ve gained!
Happy saving!