Traditional electric meters measure the electricity used in the house each month, while smart meters provide a bit more information, sometimes showing electricity use on an hourly basis. Secondary market whole-house electricity monitors use sophisticated algorithms to disaggregate total power usage moment-by-moment to provide an approximation of how much electricity is being used for different appliances in a house. Allison Bailes says that what's different about the Emporia Vue whole-house electricity monitoring system is that it actually measures the power in the branch circuits, as well as the electricity going through the main wires bringing power into the panel. In this recent Energy Vanguard post, Bailes recounts how he installed the system in his own home and breaks down the various ways that he's discovered to put the system's capabilities to use.

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