My $38 smart plug is saving me almost double that every month

I was skeptical about those smart plugs for my AC unit, but I finally crunched the numbers last weekend. My old schedule had the AC running all day even when I was at work, and the plug showed it was pulling 1.4 kW for 9 hours straight. Now I set it to cool just 30 minutes before I get home, and my electric bill dropped from $142 to $107 in the first month. Has anyone else tried time-of-use settings on their big appliances, or is this just a win for hot climates like Austin?

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1 Comment

parkera2224d ago

Different strokes I guess, but that math only works if your AC is the ONLY thing running. My bill here in Phoenix barely moved when I tried that, maybe $9 saved, because the house is still 95 degrees inside when the unit kicks back on and it runs nonstop for 4 hours to catch up. You're basically trading 9 hours of steady cooling for a massive spike right when you get home, and the compressor works harder, so you might be wearing it out faster. Also, $38 for a plug is cheap, but mine died after 6 months in the heat, so I just went back to a dumb timer. Hot climates like yours and mine aren't the same either, Austin's humidity does stuff to AC loads that dry heat doesn't.

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