Samsung has announced an expansion of its Samsung SmartThings Energy service, first launched in the U.S. in July 2021, to include several new features designed to help consumers save on their energy bills.
At launch, SmartThings Energy allowed users to monitor and manage the energy usage of Samsung’s own home appliances and air conditioners (2022 models). This expansion involves partnerships with three third-party manufacturers: Copper Labs, a producer of whole-home energy-monitoring devices; Eyedro, a company that manufactures device-level energy monitors; and WattBuy, which operates a platform to save money by finding the least-expensive electric utility in their area and/or to connect them with local solar-panel providers.
Eyedro’s EyeFi-2, currently priced at $149, is a whole-home energy monitoring system that you would install at your electrical panel, similarly to the Sense Energy Monitor we reviewed earlier this year. Like that product, Eyedro’s systems can report energy consumption at the device level, and it will report energy production. In addition to SmartThings integration, it can also be used with smart speakers powered by Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Provide the WattBuy platform with your home’s address and it will connect you with the electric utilities licensed by your local public utility commission, so you can compare costs (assuming there’s more than one). The service will display each utility’s rate per kilowatt hour and report the home’s average monthly usage and average monthly bill. The service will also report information available in the public record, including the home’s square footage, year of construction, and the type of heating system it has. WattBuy will also connect you to local companies that can provide you with solar-energy systems.
Copper Labs doesn’t sell products or services directly to consumers. It instead provides utility companies with technology that can track their customers’ energy consumption in real time, so that the utility can provide those customers with actionable insights in an effort to manage peak demand and enhance energy efficiency. Consumers can likewise monitor their entire home’s real-time electricity consumption in the SmartThings app, and they can set up automations to reduce their energy consumption to reduce their electric bill, including reacting to demand response events. Copper’s service works with and without smart electric meters.