DIN Rail energy monitoring

Smart Home Modules for Energy Monitoring: How to Lower Your Electricity Costs Quickly and Easily

For several months now, electricity prices have been soaring - and there is still no relief in sight. For this reason, it is more advisable than ever to opt for a smart home. Because an intelligent smart home can save a lot of electricity, for example by only activating your lighting and heating in certain, individually defined scenarios.

If you have already set up a smart home system and want to make further savings, it is advisable to measure the energy consumption in your household in detail. After all, the electricity bill from your utility company only arrives once a year and does not provide you with any concrete data on your electricity consumption. Without a conscientious analysis, energy guzzlers often remain undiscovered. Fortunately, there are smart devices that make it easy to measure household appliances, power circuits, air conditioners and many other modules. At Berrybase, you can also find corresponding measuring devices - and they are not only inexpensive and of high quality but can also be easily configured.

How does energy monitoring work with smart power meters?

Smart devices always communicate via a wireless standard - this is no different with smart energy meters. Most models use WLAN, because this standard scores with a particularly high transmission rate and a good range. Thanks to wireless communication, you can easily link the meters to your smartphone or tablet, which allows you to control the modules via your mobile device and view the measured values at any time.

Before you can measure the consumption of your electronic devices, however, it is necessary to install your smart meter. This is usually placed in a conventional flush-mounted box or next to the circuit breakers. Tip: It is best to commission a specialist with the installation of the energy meter so that you do not risk an electric shock.

What are the advantages of smart electricity meters?

The most important advantage of power meters is obvious: by monitoring the energy consumption in your household, you can quickly determine which devices in your household use the most electricity. You can then correct the power consumption - if possible - by individual measures and thus effectively reduce your energy costs. What makes the Smart Home variant particularly practical is that you can easily have the power consumption displayed on your smartphone or tablet. This way, you can take precautions to reduce consumption even when you are on the move.

Some models also offer individual benefits. The Shelly 3EM, for example, has a built-in technical feature that interrupts the power supply as soon as excess consumption is detected. However, this option must first be activated via the manufacturer's own app.

What should you consider when buying?

If you want to integrate an electricity meter into your Smart Home, you should check beforehand whether the module is compatible with the components of the existing network. As a rule, all integrated Smart Home devices must communicate via the same radio standard and come from the same manufacturer so that interaction is possible.

Furthermore, some products require the purchase of an additional module if power consumption is to be measured. In the case of the Shelly EM, for example, you need an ammeter that you connect to the energy meter. Again, you must make sure that you choose the right type. Shelly offers two differrent clamps: one with 50 amperes and one with 120 amperes rated primary current.

You should also note that the range of smart meters is limited. If you live in a larger-than-average house, the meter may not be able to measure your consumption accurately, if at all. You can find out how high the range is in the respective item description.