Best Home Energy Monitors of 2025 – Picks by Bob Vila

If you’ve opened your electric bill lately and whispered “There’s no way that’s right,”
you’re not alone. In 2025, electricity prices are higher, more of our homes are running
on electricity (hello, heat pumps and EVs), and “set it and forget it” is officially a
terrible energy strategy. That’s where home energy monitors come in.

Inspired by the way the Bob Vila team tests and ranks home tech, this guide walks you
through the best home energy monitors of 2025, what they actually do, and how to choose
the right one for your home. We’ll cover whole-home systems that sit in your
breaker panel, smart plugs that reveal which gadgets are secretly energy hogs, and
options that play nicely with solar panels and smart-home platforms.

Think of this as your no-nonsense, slightly nerdy, and occasionally humorous tour of the
devices that can finally tell you whether it’s the fridge, the dryer, or your teen’s
gaming PC that’s eating your paycheck.

Why Home Energy Monitors Matter in 2025

A decade ago, most homeowners only saw one number: the total kilowatt-hours used each
month. Helpful? Barely. Modern home energy monitors flip that model completely. They
give you near real-time data broken down by circuit, by device, or by outlet, often with
clear graphs and dollar estimates.

In 2025, that level of insight is especially useful because:

• Electricity is powering more of your life. Heat pumps, induction
  cooktops, EV chargers, home offices, and gaming setups all stack onto a single panel.
• Time-of-use and dynamic pricing are more common. Knowing when
  you’re using power is almost as important as how much you’re using.
• Solar and batteries are mainstream. If you generate power, a good
  energy monitor helps you track production vs. consumption and verify payback.
• Every watt carries a carbon footprint. Detailed monitoring helps you
  cut both costs and emissions without guessing.

The bottom line: an energy monitor turns “I think we’re wasting power” into “The old
dehumidifier in the basement is costing us $14 a month; let’s fix that.”

How Home Energy Monitors Work

Home energy monitors fall into three broad categories, each with strengths and trade-offs.

1. Whole-Home Panel Monitors

These systems use current transformer (CT) clamps that attach around the main service
lines inside your electrical panel. Some kits include additional CTs for individual
circuits. They measure current, combine that with voltage, and send data to a hub that
uploads everything to a cloud service or app.

Higher-end models, like flagship whole-home monitors, use machine learning or
“appliance recognition” to identify patterns. Over time, your app can tell the
difference between the refrigerator compressor, the microwave, or the clothes dryer
based on their power signatures. You’ll see which devices run most often, when they
spike, and how they impact your bill.

Pros:

• Comprehensive view of your home’s usage
• Great for solar, EV chargers, and multi-circuit tracking
• Often supports alerts, goals, and long-term trends

Cons:

• Requires access to the main panel; usually needs a licensed electrician
• Higher upfront cost than a simple smart plug

2. Smart Plugs and Outlet-Level Monitors

Smart plugs are the simplest way to start monitoring. You plug them into a standard
outlet, then plug an appliance into the smart plug. The device tracks real-time wattage
and cumulative energy use. Many also provide remote on/off control, schedules, and
voice-assistant integration.

These are perfect for:

• Space heaters, window AC units, and dehumidifiers
• Home office equipment and gaming consoles
• Entertainment centers with always-on “standby” loads

Their main limitation is obvious: they only measure whatever is plugged into them, and
usually not high-current appliances like dryers or central AC units.

3. Smart Panels and Ecosystems

A newer class of systems combines monitoring with control at the breaker level.
These solutions often integrate directly with smart panels, breakers, or thermostats,
and feed their data into a broader energy-management app. The advantage is tighter
integration: the same platform can monitor usage, react to time-of-use pricing, and
coordinate with thermostats or EV chargers to shift loads automatically.

If you’re planning a panel upgrade, major renovation, or solar-plus-battery system,
looking at energy monitors that fit into a larger ecosystem is a smart move. It may cost
more up front but can be easier to live with long-term.

What to Look For Before You Buy

Before you add anything to your cart, take a minute to match the product to your home
and goals. Here are the key factors the pros look at:

Installation and Safety

• Panel access: Whole-home monitors usually require opening the
  electrical panel. If you’re not comfortable (or legally allowed) doing that, budget
  for an electrician.
• Certifications: Look for devices that meet safety and testing
  standards and are designed specifically for residential panels and outlets.
• Wi-Fi placement: The hub or antenna needs a strong signal; if your
  panel is in a detached garage or basement, you may need a Wi-Fi extender.

Data Quality and App Experience

• Real-time vs. delayed data: Most leading systems update every few
  seconds. That’s important when you’re trying to correlate “I turned this on” with
  “my usage spiked.”
• Historical reporting: Look for daily, weekly, and monthly graphs,
  plus the ability to export data if you like spreadsheets more than normal people do.
• Device recognition: Whole-home monitors with appliance detection take
  time to “learn” your house but can become extremely insightful over months of use.

Smart-Home and Solar Integration

• Voice assistants: Alexa and Google Assistant support makes it easy
  to ask, “How much power are we using right now?”
• Home-automation platforms: If you use Home Assistant, SmartThings,
  or similar systems, check compatibility so you can trigger automations based on
  power usage.
• Solar visibility: If you have panels, choose a monitor that can track
  generation as well as consumption, or at least work alongside your inverter’s data.

Cost, Subscriptions, and Value

• Upfront cost: Whole-home solutions typically range higher than
  smart plugs, but they cover much more.
• Ongoing fees: Many consumer-focused monitors provide full
  functionality without a monthly subscription. Avoid hidden costs where possible.
• Payback horizon: If a monitor helps you cut even 5–10% off your
  annual electric bill, it can often pay for itself within a couple of years.

Best Home Energy Monitors of 2025 (Bob Vila–Style Picks)

Based on hands-on testing, expert interviews, and cross-checking multiple independent
buying guides, here are the standout options for 2025, organized the way a Bob Vila
review would: by how you actually use them.

1. Sense Home Energy Monitor – Best Overall Whole-Home Monitor

The Sense Home Energy Monitor is widely considered the “brainy” option. It lives in
your electrical panel, samples power thousands of times per second, and uses
advanced analytics to recognize the unique fingerprints of your appliances over time.

Homeowners like it because the app is clean, the data feels intuitive, and once the
system has had time to learn, it can call out specific devices and estimate their share
of your bill. It also supports solar configurations, shows real-time usage and
historical trends, and can push alerts if something looks offlike a well pump running
nonstop or lights left on when nobody’s home.

Downsides? You’ll almost certainly want an electrician to install it, and device
detection starts out vague and improves over weeks. But if you want a deep, whole-house
view, this is the benchmark many other systems are measured against.

2. Emporia Vue 3 – Best Value for Multi-Circuit Power Users

If Sense is the brainy analyst, Emporia Vue 3 is the ultra-practical overachiever.
Emporia’s latest whole-home hub supports multiple CTs, letting you monitor both the
main service and individual circuitsgreat for tracking EV chargers, heat pumps,
water heaters, and other heavy hitters separately.

The Vue 3 is popular with DIY-minded homeowners because the hardware is competitively
priced for the number of circuits it can watch, and the app delivers straightforward,
real-time charts and alerts. It also ties into Emporia’s own smart plugs, so you can
blend panel-level and outlet-level monitoring in a single ecosystem.

It still requires careful installation in the panel and a decent Wi-Fi signal, but for
the amount of data you get per dollar, it’s one of the strongest values in 2025.

3. Emporia Smart Plug – Best Runner-Up for Targeting Single Devices

Not ready to open your panel yet? Emporia’s smart plug energy monitor is a great way
to dip a toe in the water. It tracks usage for one plugged-in device, supports
scheduling and remote control, and integrates with the same app as the Vue.

This makes it ideal for testing your hunches before investing in a full system. Plug
in that always-on gaming rig, space heater, or dehumidifier and see how much it really
costs to run each month. If you eventually decide to step up to the Vue 3, you can keep
the plugs in service and see both circuit-level and outlet-level data in one view.

4. Govee Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring – Best Budget-Friendly Pick

For a lower-cost way to monitor a few key devices, Govee’s smart plugs with energy
monitoring are hard to ignore. They’re compact, app-controlled, and provide real-time
wattage plus historical reports. Many models support both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and
they fit neatly behind furniture and appliances.

Their strength is simplicity: you get enough data to see which devices draw the most
power and when, along with basic automation tools. Their weakness is also simplicity:
each plug monitors only one outlet, and they don’t replace the full-home visibility of
a panel-based system.

5. TP-Link Kasa HS300 Smart Power Strip – Best for Home Offices and Media Centers

If your main energy mystery lives under your desk or behind your TV, a smart
power-strip monitor like the TP-Link Kasa HS300 is a clever solution. It offers multiple
individually controllable outlets, each with its own power monitoring.

That means you can finally quantify the combined load of your PC, monitors, printer,
speakers, and chargersor your TV, sound system, game consoles, and streaming boxes.
You can schedule certain outlets to switch off at night, cut phantom loads, and see
which devices never really “sleep.”

6. Etekcity Outdoor Smart Plug – Best for Yard and Seasonal Loads

Outdoor-rated smart plugs with energy monitoring are perfect for things like
holiday lights, patio heaters, or pumps. The Etekcity smart plug is a good example:
it’s weather-resistant, controllable from an app, and can show you exactly how much
those string lights or decorative displays are costing over a season.

If you tend to forget outdoor devices on overnight, the ability to schedule or remotely
shut them off can pay for the plug surprisingly quickly.

7. Eyedro Home Energy Monitor – Also Worth Considering

Eyedro’s home energy monitors have been around for years and retain a loyal following
among homeowners who like web-based dashboards and exportable data. They may not have
the same slick, app-first experience as the newest entrants, but they offer reliable,
panel-level monitoring and can integrate well into more technical setups.

If you care more about raw data and less about cutting-edge mobile UI, Eyedro-style
monitors are still a solid option in 2025.

How to Actually Use a Home Energy Monitor to Save Money

Buying the gadget is the easy part. Getting value from it takes a bit of curiosity and
a willingness to experiment. Here’s a simple playbook:

1. Establish your baseline. Let the monitor collect at least a week of
   data without changing anything. Note your average daily kWh and peak times.
2. Hunt for always-on loads. Use the app’s breakdowns to identify
   devices that draw power 24/7. Common culprits include old fridges, cable boxes,
   routers, and set-top boxes.
3. Test one appliance at a time. Turn devices on and off while watching
   real-time data. You’ll quickly learn which ones are bigger hitters than you thought.
4. Set alerts and goals. Many monitors can notify you if your usage
   exceeds a certain threshold or if a device has run longer than normal.
5. Pair changes with your bill. After making adjustmentsunplugging,
   scheduling, replacing old gearcompare your next one or two utility bills to your
   baseline. That’s where the savings show up.

A good rule of thumb: if a monitor reveals enough waste to reduce your bill by even
a few dollars each month, it quietly pays itself off over time. Many households see
more dramatic savings once they chase down a few energy hogs.

Real-World Experiences With Home Energy Monitors (Extra Insights)

To make this guide more than just specs and features, let’s look at how people
actually live with these devices and what they’ve learned along the way.

The “Mystery Spike” That Turned Into a Fix

One of the most common stories from energy-monitor owners involves unexplained spikes
in usage. A homeowner notices their real-time power draw jump at random times, far
above what should be normal for lights and a couple of devices. By checking timestamps
and walking the house during a spike, they discover a failing well pump, an old
dehumidifier stuck in an inefficient cycle, or a fridge that never quite shuts off.

Without the monitor, those issues might have gone unnoticed for months, quietly
inflating bills and wearing out equipment. With the added visibility, it’s easier to
catch the pattern, repair or replace the device, and see the before-and-after impact
on the bill.

How Renters Use Smart Plugs to Keep Costs in Check

Renters can’t usually open electrical panels or rewire circuits, but they can still
take control of their energy usage with smart plugs and power strips. Many people
start by plugging in their window AC units, space heaters, or entertainment centers.
After a month of data, they often find that:

• A basic space heater running on high for a few hours each night adds a surprising
  amount to the bill.
• “Off” isn’t really off: TVs, consoles, amplifiers, and receivers may draw 20–40 watts
  continuously in standby.
• Simple scheduleslike shutting down gear from midnight to 6 a.m.can trim nightly
  waste with zero lifestyle impact.

Over time, that kind of small optimization becomes a habit. Renters get a better sense
of which devices are worth using, and which ones should be upgraded or unplugged.

Solar Owners: Verifying Payback and Performance

Solar households often pair their inverter’s data with a dedicated energy monitor.
The combination helps answer important questions:

• How much of our solar production are we using in real time vs. exporting?
• Are there times when we could shift flexible loadslike laundry or EV chargingto
  better match our solar output?
• Do our actual savings match what the installer projected?

By overlaying consumption and generation data, homeowners can see whether they’re
truly maximizing their solar investment. Some even use automation platforms to
trigger EV charging or water heating when excess solar is available.

Families and Behavioral Shifts

There’s also a quieter, behavioral side to energy monitoring. When families can open
an app and see their real-time usage spike the moment every light and device is on,
it becomes easier to connect habits with consequences.

Parents sometimes gamify it: challenge kids to keep the “Now” wattage under a certain
threshold on school nights, or reward them for remembering to turn off lights and
devices. Over time, those little changes stick. The monitor becomes less of a novelty
and more of a dashboardsomething you check occasionally for reassurance that the
house is running efficiently.

What People Wish They’d Known Earlier

Across many user stories, a few themes repeat:

• Installation matters. Getting CTs placed correctly, naming circuits
  clearly, and ensuring Wi-Fi reliability up front saves headaches later.
• Patience pays off. Whole-home monitors with device recognition need
  time and varied usage to identify appliances. The data gets more valuable with each
  passing week.
• Data is only useful if you act on it. The real savings come when
  you replace inefficient devices, change schedules, or adjust thermostat and hot-water
  settings based on what you’ve learned.

Put simply, the best home energy monitors of 2025 don’t just show you pretty graphs.
Used well, they become tools for making smarter, more confident decisions about how
you power your home.

Conclusion: Choosing the Right Monitor for Your Home

If you want the deepest insight and are comfortable hiring an electrician, a
whole-home monitor like Sense or a multi-circuit system like Emporia Vue 3 offers the
most powerful data and automation options. If you’re renting or just getting started,
smart plugs and power strips can still uncover surprising waste and give you
real-world numbers to work with.

Whichever path you take, the key is consistency: check your data, experiment with
changes, and compare your bills over time. That’s how you turn a gadget into genuine
savingsand why, in classic Bob Vila fashion, a humble monitoring device can be one of
the smartest upgrades you make to your home in 2025.