Start by finding where energy is being wasted and which rooms or systems are making the home uncomfortable. Then tackle the causes—often drafts, weak insulation, thermostat schedules, or HVAC problems—rather than making the whole house colder in winter or warmer in summer. A home energy assessment can help prioritize improvements for the building instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all list.
Start with the home’s bills and comfort problems
Before buying equipment or changing settings, review utility bills and note when energy use rises. Make a short list of persistent problems: rooms that are too hot or cold, noticeable drafts, humidity concerns, noisy equipment, or frequent repairs. Utility bills can help identify large energy users, while these observations point to where improvements may make a difference.
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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) describes a home energy evaluation as a useful first step. Depending on the service, it may involve a walk-through or diagnostic tools such as an infrared camera or blower door to locate energy losses. Ask a utility or state energy office about assessment options in your area.
Seal drafts and check insulation
Air sealing and insulation can reduce energy waste while helping rooms feel more comfortable. DOE’s Building Science Education page puts it plainly: “A tight air-sealed home reduces leaks and air movement and improves energy and comfort.” Sealing suitable leaks and insulating weak areas—such as attics, crawl spaces, basements, or walls—work together to limit unwanted heat flow.
#1 Best Overall
- SAFETY YOU CAN TRUST WITH UL CERTIFICATION: With Emporia Energy, your home energy monitoring is safe, reliable, and certified. The Emporia Vue is UL Listed, meaning it has met rigorous safety standards for electrical products in the U.S. and Canada. This certification ensures that every component has been thoroughly tested to prevent hazards, such as overheating, short-circuiting, or fire, offering you peace of mind as you manage your home’s energy consumption.
- INSTALLS IN CIRCUIT PANEL of most homes with clamp-on sensors. Supports Single phase, Single-split phase, and 2-wire systems. 3-wire systems; 3-phase, 4-wire Wye systems with earthed (TN or TT) neutral (no-Delta) are supported with an additional 200A sensor (sold separately).
- 24/7 ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING: Automate, manage and control your home's real power anywhere, anytime to prevent costly repairs, conserve energy, and save costs. Monitor solar / net metering. PROTECTED BY A 1-YEAR WARRANTY.
- LOWER YOUR ELECTRIC BILL: Configure settings in the Emporia Energy App to automate energy management for time of use, peak demand, excess solar, and rewards programs. You can even see live reporting and invaluable savings opportunities instantly. Gauge real-time spending and get actionable notifications and automated energy management to help you reduce costs.
- REAL-TIME ENERGY DATA: REQUIRES 2.4 GHz WIFI WITH AN INTERNET CONNECTION to monitor energy use with iPhone / Android / Web app. Vue sensors collect energy data and are accurate from ±2%. The Vue is UL and CE Listed for your safety. 1 second data is only available in the app (when actively open) and retained 3 hours. Minute and hour data are retained in the cloud. 1 minute data is retained 7 days, 1 hour data is retained indefinitely. Export cloud data whenever you want in the app.
Choose the right fix for the gap
- Weatherstripping: Use it at movable joints, such as where a door or operable window closes against its frame. Measure the gap and choose a product compatible with the surface and how the window or door moves.
- Caulk: Use it for appropriate fixed gaps around windows and doors, following product directions and ensuring the material suits the surface.
- Professional work: Duct sealing and more extensive air sealing or insulation may require a qualified contractor. A professional can also help identify less obvious leaks and assess whether an upgrade suits the home.
Renter-friendly tasks can include weatherstripping suitable movable joints or caulking appropriate gaps, but check lease requirements before making changes. Air sealing should not mean ignoring ventilation or combustion safety; consult a qualified professional if those concerns apply to your home.
Set the thermostat around the household’s routine
Use a programmable thermostat, if available, to match heating and cooling to when people are home, asleep, or away. In winter, choose the lowest temperature occupants find comfortable; in summer, choose the highest comfortable setting. A setback while the household is asleep or out can reduce heating or cooling demand without requiring an uncomfortable setting all day.
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- ⚡ EASY INSTALLATION: Installs in circuit panel of most homes with clamp-on sensors. Supports single-phase up to 240VAC line-neutral; single, split-phase 120/240VAC; and three-phase up to 415Y/240VAC (no Delta). The branch lines can automatically match different phases and have no restrictions in terms of quantity and voltage.Panels with access only to busbars will need flexible sensors available from SEM-Meter.
- ⚡ ENERGY MONITORING ANYTIME, ANYWHERE: Monitor your home's real power anywhere, anytime to prevent costly repairs, conserve energy, and save costs. Monitor solar / net metering. Light commercial 3 phase option available as a separate bundle. Protected by a 1-year warranty.
- ⚡ VARIOUS ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE MONITORING: Comes with 16 50A sensors to accurately monitor your air conditioner, furnace, water heater, washer, dryer, range, etc.
- ⚡ LOWER YOUR ELECTRIC BILL: SEM-Meter measures real-time spending and gets actionable notifications to understand where savings can be made, both to lower your electric bill and to conserve energy and protect the planet’s resources. Be an environmentalist.
- ⚡ REAL-TIME ENERGY DATA: Connect SEM-Meter device via 2.4GHz WiFi to monitor energy usage, with an accuracy range of 1%. View usage in real time through Android/Apple software. Statistics of power usage in now/day/week/month/year format: the validity period of hourly exported data is 90 days, and the exported data of day/month/year data is permanent, available at any time Export from application.
DOE’s current home-upgrades guidance says a 7–10°F setback for eight hours a day may save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling. This is a potential estimate, not a guaranteed result: savings depend on the home, climate, system, schedule, and utility costs. DOE’s 2021 Consumer Guide to Home Heating and Cooling separately says setbacks may save as much as 10% on heating and cooling costs and gives a winter example of 1% on heating bills per 1°F setback over an eight-hour period. These are distinct pieces of guidance, not a combined result. Avoid settings that undermine comfort; in summer, do not let moisture build up.
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Maintain HVAC equipment before assuming it needs replacement
Heating and cooling can be a major household energy load. Keep supply and return registers clear, replace or clean filters as directed for the system, and pay attention to accessible ductwork and equipment condition. Routine maintenance can help the system operate as intended, but it will not correct every draft, insulation gap, or room-temperature imbalance.
Rank #3
- EM16P MODEL & LOCAL CONTROL & DATA PRIVACY: Access your home energy monitor data locally via Built-in Web UI, Open API, and MQTT without relying on cloud services. Unlike cloud-dependent monitors, Refoss ensures your data stays within your home network. Direct local access protects your privacy while giving you 100% full control of your home energy system.
- NATIVE HOME ASSISTANT & OPENCLAW AI: Experience seamless Native Home Assistant integration right out of the box—no firmware flashing or complex coding required. Featuring ✨NEW✨ OpenClaw Support, it enables AI-driven automation for smarter, real-time energy management and seamless smart home control.
- MAXIMIZE SOLAR & ZERO FEED-IN AUTOMATION: Designed for solar homes, the power monitor works with the Refoss app and Home Assistant to automatically use surplus solar power. Appliances like EV chargers, washing machines, and water heaters are powered during midday peaks, maximizing solar self-consumption and reducing low-value electricity feed-in to the grid. Optimizes usage and reduces bills.
- REAL-TIME MONITORING & ±1% ACCURACY: Monitor voltage, current, active power, and power factor of major appliances. Provides ±1% accuracy (200A: 2–200A; 60A: 1–60A) and ±2% at low current. Daily data stored up to 5 years and exportable. With no subscriptions or hidden fees, you get deep historical insights to help you identify every energy-saving opportunity and save 10–20% on monthly bills.
- SMART ALERTS & CIRCUIT-LEVEL CONTROL: Set usage targets for each individual circuit and receive instant alerts when appliances exceed normal consumption. Refoss app supports automation and peak management to optimize schedules, reduce peaks, and improve efficiency. Real-time electricity usage monitor for circuit-level insights.
If equipment is aging, often needs repair, or cannot keep rooms comfortable, ask a qualified professional to assess it and confirm appropriate sizing before replacing it. DOE recommends treating equipment work as part of a whole-home plan that also considers air sealing, insulation, and thermostat settings—not as a stand-alone guarantee of comfort or savings.
Look at water heating, appliances, and lighting next
Once the major comfort and heating or cooling issues are understood, review other loads. Reducing hot-water use, considering water-heater efficiency, and choosing efficient appliances or lighting can help, but replacing a functioning product is not automatically the best first move. Compare actual use, condition, and local costs before deciding.
Rank #4
- SAFE & RELIABLE: Meross smart energy consumption monitor is ETL‑certified and compliant with the UL 61010 testing standard, ensuring safe and reliable home energy monitoring. Works with most US homes: single-phase 2-wire systems, single-split phase 3-wire systems, and 3-phase 4-wire Wye systems with earthed (TN or TT) neutral (no Delta). Easy clamp‑on design installs in minutes. Invert CT readings in the app—no physical flipping. PROTECTED BY 2-YEAR WARRANTY for worry-free use.
- TRACK ENERGY & CUT BILLS: Track power, voltage, current, and power factor within ±1% accuracy. Clear power usage and cost charts by minute/hour/day/month/year help you easily understand your energy use. Store up to 5 years of data and export hourly reports for deep analysis. Most users save 10–20% on energy costs by spotting energy hogs and getting accurate insights to cut their bills.
- 24/7 ENERGY MONITORING + SMART ALERTS: Real-time home energy monitoring from anywhere. Set custom alerts for unusual usage spikes and threshold breaches for total peace of mind. Catch issues early with no subscriptions, no cloud lock‑in, and no hidden fees — all built-in. Supports 2 main circuits (200A) + 16 branch circuits (60A), making it perfect for precise, circuit-level energy monitoring.
- MAXIMIZE YOUR SOLAR SAVINGS (HOME ASSISTANT): This solar energy monitor integrates with Home Assistant to detect solar surplus and automatically power EV chargers, water heaters, and other high‑use appliances. Stop wasting solar energy—use it yourself and cut your electricity bill faster. The perfect home energy monitor for solar homes.
- LOCAL DATA, FULL PRIVACY, NO SUBSCRIPTIONS: Connect seamlessly with Home Assistant for advanced energy automation. All energy data stays local—no cloud, no delays, no privacy concerns. Take full control of your home energy, reduce waste, and protect your privacy. Supports Open API and Web Control.
DOE’s Energy Saver page, published November 18, 2014, gives broad U.S. estimates: heating and cooling typically account for 43% of a home’s utility bill, water heating for 12%, and appliances for 15% of household energy consumption. It also says newer lighting technologies may reduce lighting energy use by 50% to 75%. These figures are general guidance from 2014, not measurements for an individual home or a prediction of a particular project’s savings.
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There is no universal upgrade order or payback ranking for every home. An assessment can help compare options against the issue you actually have.
Best Value
- SAFETY YOU CAN TRUST WITH UL CERTIFICATION: With Emporia Energy, your home energy monitoring is safe, reliable, and certified. The Emporia Vue is UL Listed, meaning it has met rigorous safety standards for electrical products in the U.S. and Canada. This certification ensures that every component has been thoroughly tested to prevent hazards, such as overheating, short-circuiting, or fire, offering you peace of mind as you manage your home’s energy consumption.
- INSTALLS IN CIRCUIT PANEL of most homes with clamp-on sensors. Supports Single phase, Single-split phase, and 2-wire systems. 3-wire systems; 3-phase, 4-wire Wye systems with earthed (TN or TT) neutral (no-Delta) are supported with an additional 200A sensor (sold separately).
- 24/7 ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING: Automate, manage and control your home's real power anywhere, anytime to prevent costly repairs, conserve energy, and save costs. Monitor solar / net metering. PROTECTED BY A 1-YEAR WARRANTY.
- LOWER YOUR ELECTRIC BILL: Configure settings in the Emporia Energy App to automate energy management for time of use, peak demand, excess solar, and rewards programs. You can even see live reporting and invaluable savings opportunities instantly. Gauge real-time spending and get actionable notifications and automated energy management to help you reduce costs.
- REAL-TIME ENERGY DATA: REQUIRES 2.4 GHz WIFI WITH AN INTERNET CONNECTION to monitor energy use with iPhone / Android / Web app. Vue sensors collect energy data and are accurate from ±2%. The Vue is UL and CE Listed for your safety. 1 second data is only available in the app (when actively open) and retained 3 hours. Minute and hour data are retained in the cloud. 1 minute data is retained 7 days, 1 hour data is retained indefinitely. Export cloud data whenever you want in the app.
- Upfront cost and disruption: A small weatherstripping task differs from insulation work or HVAC replacement.
- DIY suitability: Some suitable window and door gaps may be manageable as a DIY task; duct sealing and complex building-envelope work may call for a professional.
- Problem fit: Match the measure to the evidence—drafts, a cold room, high energy use, or equipment trouble.
- Comfort and routine: A thermostat schedule only helps if occupants can live with it; a repair should address the room or system concern, not merely the bill.
- Local incentives: Count a rebate or tax incentive in a budget only after verifying that it applies to the property, measure, contractor, and location.
Check local rebate rules before budgeting
DOE’s Home Energy Rebates information describes possible support for eligible whole-home and electrification measures, including categories such as insulation, air sealing, HVAC, water heaters, duct sealing, appliances, and lighting. Program rollout, availability, eligible households and contractors, and rebate amounts vary by location and can change. Check the current rules with the relevant state or local program before choosing a project or relying on an incentive.
What the DOE savings figures do—and don’t—mean
DOE’s Energy Saver page dated November 18, 2014, gives national, general estimates rather than results measured in a particular home. It says reducing drafts may yield 5% to 30% in potential annual savings, and that turning the thermostat back 10% to 15% for eight hours may save up to 10% a year on heating and cooling bills. The same page estimates that combining maintenance or upgrades with insulation, air sealing, and thermostat settings could reduce heating and cooling energy use by 20% to 50%. These figures should not be added together or treated as promised savings; outcomes depend on climate, rates, home condition, systems, installation, and household behavior.
For guidance on evaluations and the broad savings estimates, see the DOE Energy Saver page on reducing energy bills and its home energy assessment guidance. For specific measures, consult DOE’s pages on tight air-sealed homes, home upgrades, the 2021 Consumer Guide to Home Heating and Cooling, and renter energy-saving guidance. Check current local program information through DOE Home Energy Rebates.
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