Something which has been pushed by many electricity providers is an electrical meter. This is very useful for them, but you can also benefit from it as well. An electrical meter measures the energy usage within a property in real time. This means that you can find out exactly how much energy each device within your property uses, from a switched on light bulb to your refrigerator. Simply turn off all energy consuming devices within your home, and then slowly turn them back on one by one (you should probably leave your fridge/freezer for last and turn it on first). This will give you an accurate reading of the energy usage of your home as a total, and of each appliance individually. The hope is that this will make you more aware of how much energy you’re using, so that you can make smarter choices about what you leave on in the home.
It used to be the case that energy companies would essentially guess how much energy you’ve used, but an electrical meter solves that issue, providing a precise idea of the energy usage within your home. This allows you to better plan your expenses, as you don’t have to worry about over paying for your energy.