Every now and then we take a look under the hood of Iris and see what little gems of information may be hiding underneath. A favorite spot to look for clues is the section where device icons can be found. We took a look there today and weren’t disappointed when we found an icon for a device labeled “homenergymonitor”. After studying the icon we didn’t have to look too far to find a match in the Aeon Labs DSB09104-ZWUS Home Energy Monitor.
Given that we have written about the lack of availability of the Blue Line Meter Reader in the past, we were especially excited at the prospect of an alternative product coming to Iris.
Possible Aeon Labs home energy monitor icon found in the Iris mobile app bundle.
While compatibility is universal, clamp-on meters such as these are notoriously difficult to install and may require a visit from an electrician since the probes would have to be installed on the main feeders coming into the building. Another drawback over the Blue Line reader is accuracy; the Blue Line reader actually measures the pulses given off by your electric meter which means the actual usage should match the utility bill. By contrast, clamp-on metering is usually only accurate to within 10%, but with a cost roughly a third of the Blue Line Meter Reader, the trade-off in accuracy will undoubetdly outweigh the price for many.