Get the best of Oprah.com in your inbox. Sign up for our newsletters!
Stephanie Schomer (1 post) Back to Life Lift Home
Photo: Energy Inc, Control4
Photo: Energy Inc, Control4
Knowing how much energy you use can inspire smarter habits—slashing costs by as much as 15 percent. Two home monitors we love:

To budget better:  The Energy Detective

This device hooks directly into your home's breaker panel and immediately starts tracking energy use on up to five appliances. Set a budget goal and see, for example, that running the dishwasher after dinner, when rates are often higher, will set you back more than waiting until bedtime. ($239; lowes.com)             

To automate your home: Control4           
           
Program closet lights to turn off after five minutes; set all your lighting to run at 80 percent. In addition to tracking energy consumption, this sleek system allows you to control virtually all your household electronics and lighting. (Packages start at $1,500; control4.com)              

Keep Reading
A step-by-step guide to curbing your energy costs
Advertisement
about   Life Lift
The Oprah blog is a place where you can find engaging news coverage, fresh inspiration, and the straight talk you've come to count on. A place that provides the tools you need to make a change—if not in the world—then at least in your little corner of it. It's a place that will raise your energy, lower your blood pressure and occasionally make you laugh—in short, a place of possibility.
Advertisement
Advertisement