I finally figured out how to test a smart plug's actual power draw without a kill-a-watt

My old method was just trusting the app, but after my bill spiked last month, I wired it through a cheap $15 analog meter I had in the garage. Turns out the 'off' state was still pulling 2 watts, which adds up. Anyone know a better way to catch these phantom loads?

3 comments

3 Comments

josephbutler25d ago

Two watts is basically nothing, a single LED nightlight uses more. You're talking pennies a year on your bill, not a real spike. That analog meter is probably less accurate than the app anyway, those old things can be way off. Most of the time a bill jump is from the AC or fridge, not a smart plug. You're overthinking a tiny phantom load that doesn't matter.

paigewhite24d ago

But pennies add up across a dozen devices, don't they?

-1

lunawilliams22d ago

Joseph's right about the scale being small for one plug. The real issue is when you have a whole house full of them. A smart plug here, a game console there, a few chargers left in the wall. It all sits there sipping power 24/7. That collective phantom load from maybe twenty different things is what actually moves the meter over a month. It's death by a thousand cuts, not one big slash.