As the green movement continues to pick up momentum, people are looking for more ways to reduce their carbon footprint. But to start looking for ways to reduce your energy use, you must first have accurate information about its effects on your day-to-day affairs. This includes energy use within your home, emissions from vehicles and your overall energy efficiency.
The following five gadgets can help monitor your energy use, which will bring you one step closer to reducing your carbon footprint.
Smartphones and Tablets
Energy efficiency is right at your fingertips with energy management apps for your Android phone, like the Galaxy S6 Edge. Apps like Kill-Ur-Watts track your energy consumption and provide you with suggestions and strategies for reduction. The app also allows you to calculate your carbon footprint and share your score with family and friends, creating a friendly challenge that's beneficial for the environment. By investing in a remote control or Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat, you can better control room temperatures at home or in the office from the convenience of your smartphone or tablet. These thermostats learn your energy-use habits and can create a program to assist you in reaching maximum comfort and efficiency.
Plug-in Energy Monitors
Tracking your home or office energy use requires you to know how much energy each appliance or electronic device uses when plugged in. Plug-in energy monitors keep track of carbon dioxide associated with the electricity consumed, watt usage, cost of operation and forecast energy use. Knowing these numbers will allow you to create goals for energy reduction each month and even save you money in the long run by taking a bite out of your energy bill.
Wearable Tech
Wearable devices not only monitor your health and fitness goals, but can also track your carbon footprint in real time. The Worldbeing wristband can monitor the greenhouse gases you emit each day while engaging in everyday activities. You'll learn how much carbon each of your actions, like driving your car to work or choosing to eat red meat for dinner, generates into the atmosphere. In addition, the device doubles as a health tracker, working with apps such as My Fitness Pal.
Wireless Shower Meter
A wireless, smart shower meter, like the Amphiro, can track your energy and water consumption. By connecting via Bluetooth to your smartphone or tablet, this shower meter will provide you with energy consumption statistics, among other features. Knowing your water consumption rates will motivate you to create reduction goals, saving you money on your energy and water bills.
Home Energy Monitor
A home energy monitor tracks your home's energy usage by monitoring home appliances using complicated algorithms. The Wi-Fi-enabled sensor then sends you real-time reports of power usage to your smartphone or tablet. Remote home energy monitors like the Neurio Sensor do not require you to install anything to each device in your home. If your home uses solar power, Neuiro helps you understand how much power it's generating and how that impacts your overall net consumption of energy. The monitor will even inform you when you've forgotten to hit the off switch, so if you have kids or dogs at home, you'll have the peace of mind knowing no dangerous appliances were left on.
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