The best smart energy monitor for most Australian homes depends on what you want to measure. Solar households often prefer a whole-home monitoring solution like Powersensor, while renters and single-appliance trackers usually do better with an energy-monitoring smart plug such as the TP-Link Tapo P110. There's no single "best" option for everyone.
What Is a Smart Energy Monitor, and Do You Need One?
A smart energy monitor tracks how much electricity your home, a circuit, or an individual appliance is using, usually in near real time, and reports it back through an app. Some also track solar generation, so you can see how much of your own power you're using versus exporting to the grid.
The appeal is straightforward: if you can see where the power is going, you can make better decisions. That includes when to run appliances, whether an old fridge is worth replacing, or whether your solar system is actually offsetting your usage the way you expected. On rising electricity prices, that visibility can be genuinely useful, even if the monitor itself doesn't save a single watt on its own. If your data shows plenty of excess solar, read our guide on choosing a smart-home-ready battery to weigh up rebate schemes and storage options.
Whether you need one depends on your goals. If you just want to stop a couple of appliances drawing power overnight, a smart plug buying guide might be enough reading before you buy a simple monitoring plug. If you want a fuller picture of your whole home's consumption, including solar, a dedicated monitoring system is worth the extra step.
Types of Smart Energy Monitors Available in Australia
Smart energy monitors sold in Australia generally fall into a few categories, and it's worth understanding the differences before you commit to one.
Whole-Home and Solar Monitoring Systems
These systems typically clip onto your switchboard (often via a licensed electrician, depending on the product) or connect to your inverter, and report on total household consumption, solar generation, and sometimes grid import/export. They're the most comprehensive option if you want to understand your home's overall energy picture rather than just a single appliance.
The trade-off is usually cost and setup complexity compared with a simple smart plug, and in some cases professional installation for the sensing hardware. If your home has solar, or you're planning to add it, this category is worth prioritising.
Individual Smart Plugs With Energy Monitoring
Energy-monitoring smart plugs sit between a wall socket and a single appliance. They report on that appliance's power draw and, in many cases, let you schedule or remotely switch it off. They're cheap to try, need no wiring changes, and are a sensible starting point for renters, since they typically don't require any permanent alteration to the property.
The limitation is scope: a monitoring plug only tells you about the one thing it's plugged into. If you want a full household view, you'd need several plugs across your biggest appliances, which adds up in cost and app clutter.
DIN-Rail Relays for Multi-Circuit Monitoring
DIN-rail smart relays are mounted inside your switchboard or a distribution board and can monitor and control multiple circuits at once, such as lighting, a hot water system, or an air conditioner circuit. Because they involve fixed wiring, this is squarely a job for a licensed electrician, who can confirm the installation meets relevant AS/NZS wiring rules for your home.
This category suits homeowners who want more granular control over several loads without buying a separate plug for each one, and who are comfortable with a modest upfront project involving an electrician.
Our Picks: Smart Energy Monitors Worth Considering
Below are a few options from different categories, each suited to a different kind of household. None of these are ranked against each other on price or performance we haven't verified; they're grouped by who they tend to suit.
For Solar Households Wanting a Full Picture
Maybe your home has solar and you want to see generation, consumption and how the two interact. The Powersensor Energy and Solar Monitoring Solution is designed for households wanting to monitor multiple inverters in one app. This is particularly useful if you've added a second inverter over time, or if you simply want a single dashboard rather than switching between separate manufacturer apps.
The trade-off is that this is a more involved purchase than a $20 smart plug, both in terms of setup and the fact that you're monitoring a whole system rather than a single device. It's the right call if your main question is "how much of my solar am I actually using?" rather than "is my old bar fridge costing me money?"
Powersensor Energy and Solar Monitoring Solution
Best for: Australian homeowners wanting DIY household and solar energy monitoring without hiring an electrician or paying ongoing subscription fees.
What we like
- Installs without tools, CT clamps, or direct electrical wiring using non-contact electromagnetic field sensing.
- Official Home Assistant integration available alongside an open REST API with OAuth 2.0.
- Operates without subscription fees or ongoing cloud access charges.
- Local Australian three-pin pass-through plug hardware backed by a two-year warranty.
Worth knowing
- Does not support home battery storage systems.
- Lacks integration with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, SmartThings, and Matter.
- Limited Bluetooth wireless range (10 to 20 metres) between the switchboard sensor and gateway plug makes it unsuitable for most apartments.
For Apple Home and Matter Households
Your smart home may be built around Apple Home, or you may be deliberately choosing Matter-compatible gear for future flexibility. The Eve Energy Smart Plug (Matter over Thread) is aimed at exactly this use case: remote control and energy monitoring for Apple Home users and Matter ecosystems. Because it uses Thread rather than relying solely on Wi-Fi, it can also help form part of a more resilient mesh network alongside other Thread devices.
The main consideration is ecosystem fit. If you're on Android with Google Home, or you don't otherwise care about Matter, there are simpler Wi-Fi-only options. They will do the same basic monitoring job without needing a Thread border router in the mix.
Eve Energy Smart Plug (Matter over Thread)
Best for: Australian smart home setups using Matter and Thread looking for local energy monitoring without account registrations or cloud dependencies.
What we like
- Operates over Thread and acts as a Full Thread Device router node to extend mesh network range, according to Eve.
- Native Matter support enables local control across Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and Home Assistant.
- Provides real-time power consumption tracking with no cloud account or subscription required, per retailer and manufacturer specifications.
- Features a standard Australian 3-pin plug rated for 240 V and up to 2,500 W (11 A), confirmed by Australian retailer listings.
Worth knowing
- Requires a separate Matter Controller and Thread Border Router, as confirmed by Eve, and cannot connect directly to standard Wi-Fi.
- Historical energy tracking and cost calculations require specific platforms like the Eve app or Home Assistant rather than standard third-party Matter interfaces, according to Eve.
- Restricted to indoor use with an operating temperature threshold between 0 °C and 35 °C, per retailer documentation.
For Multi-Circuit Control at the Switchboard
Some households want to monitor and control several loads at once, such as an air conditioner, pool pump, or hot water system. The Shelly Pro 4PM 4-Channel DIN Rail Relay is built for exactly this. It offers remote control and monitoring of up to four electrical loads from one device mounted in your switchboard or distribution board.
Because this involves fixed wiring, it needs to be installed by a licensed electrician, who can advise on whether it's appropriate for your specific circuits and confirm the work meets applicable AS/NZS wiring standards. This isn't a weekend DIY plug-and-play product, but for homeowners (rather than renters) wanting whole-circuit visibility without a full whole-home system, it's a middle ground worth discussing with your electrician.
Shelly Pro 4PM 4-Channel DIN Rail Relay
Best for: Homeowners wanting switchboard-level automation and individual power metering for up to four single-phase circuits via Home Assistant, Wi-Fi, or Ethernet.
What we like
- Independent real-time power metering across four channels, supporting up to 16 A per channel and 40 A total device capacity.
- Flexible connectivity featuring 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, wired Ethernet (RJ45), and Bluetooth 4.2.
- Integrated 1.8-inch colour display with navigation buttons for direct local monitoring and manual control.
- Extensive local control capabilities, including native Home Assistant integration, local web server, webhooks, MQTT, and custom mjS scripting.
- Operates without any subscription fees for cloud access, schedules, or local automations.
Worth knowing
- Strictly limited to single-phase mains power; all four channels must share the same phase.
- Outputs switch line voltage directly with no potential-free (dry) contacts.
- Inductive loads (such as exhaust fans or LED drivers) require an external RC snubber to prevent switch damage.
- Lacks native out-of-the-box support for Apple Home and Matter.
For Everyday Appliance Tracking
For most people starting out, an energy-monitoring smart plug is the easiest entry point. The TP-Link Tapo P110 Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring is designed for homeowners wanting to track power use and control devices remotely via voice or app. It plugs straight into an existing 240V outlet with no wiring changes.
This is a sensible pick if you want to answer a specific question before deciding whether something is worth replacing or scheduling differently. For example, how much is your fridge, pool pump, or entertainment unit actually costing you? The trade-off, as with any single-device plug, is that it only reports on whatever it's plugged into. For a wider look at how these plugs fit into a broader power-saving strategy, our guide on how smart plugs and energy monitors can cut your power bill covers the basics well.
TP-Link Tapo P110 Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring
Best for: Renters and households wanting to see what individual plug-in appliances draw, using Alexa, Google Assistant or SmartThings without buying a hub
What we like
- TP-Link lists an Australian plug rated 220-240V with a 10A, 2300W maximum load, carrying RCM and SAA certifications
- Real-time energy monitoring in the Tapo app, with bill estimates based on single or time-of-use electricity rates, according to TP-Link
- No hub required, per TP-Link's setup instructions
- TP-Link says it adds overload protection and can switch off when draw passes a threshold you set
- Two-year TP-Link Australia warranty for smart power products bought from an authorised retailer
Worth knowing
- 2.4GHz Wi-Fi only, according to TP-Link's specifications
- The standard P110's Australian page does not list Matter or Apple Home support; that is the separate P110M
- Energy figures are estimates from the app; TP-Link publishes no accuracy figure on its Australian product page
What to Check Before You Buy
Before adding any energy monitor to your home, a few practical checks will save you a returned parcel or an awkward install.
Compatibility and App Ecosystem
Check which app the monitor uses, and whether it plays nicely with any voice assistant or smart home hub you already run. A device that only reports data in its own standalone app is still useful. But one that also integrates with Google Home, Apple Home or a Matter-based setup gives you more flexibility later, particularly if you plan to expand your smart home over time.
It's also worth checking whether the product needs a hub or bridge, or whether it connects directly to your home Wi-Fi. Direct Wi-Fi connection is usually simpler for a first-time buyer, though it does mean one more device competing for bandwidth on your router.
Installation: Plug-In vs Fixed Wiring
Smart plugs are designed to be installed by anyone: plug them into a standard 240V outlet, connect to Wi-Fi, and you're generally done in a few minutes. Whole-home monitors and DIN-rail relays are a different story. Anything that involves opening your switchboard, connecting current transformers, or altering fixed wiring should be installed by a licensed electrician. That's both for safety and because doing this work yourself may affect insurance or compliance with AS/NZS wiring rules.
When in doubt about which category a product falls into, check the manufacturer's installation instructions before buying, and budget for an electrician's time if fixed wiring is involved.
Renters and Strata Considerations
If you're renting, plug-in energy monitors are almost always the safer starting point, since they don't require any permanent change to the property and can be taken with you when you move. Fixed installations, such as a DIN-rail relay in the switchboard, are more likely to need landlord approval. In a strata property, they may also need to align with body corporate rules around alterations to common property or shared electrical infrastructure. Tenancy and strata rules vary by state and by building. It's worth checking your specific lease or by-laws, or asking your property manager or owners' corporation, rather than assuming a monitor is a straightforward tenant-friendly upgrade.
Our piece on what you should never plug into a smart plug gives a broader look at what plug-in monitors are, and aren't, suited to. It's a useful companion read before you start monitoring appliances around the house.
Getting the Most Out of Your Energy Monitor
Buying the monitor is the easy part. Getting value from it usually comes down to what you do with the data.
Start by monitoring your biggest suspected culprits first, things like old fridges, pool pumps, electric hot water systems, or entertainment setups left on standby. Our guide to standby power and which appliances cost the most to leave on is a good place to prioritise which devices to check first.
Over a week or two, patterns tend to emerge, an appliance drawing more than expected, a habit like leaving something on overnight, or a solar system that's exporting more than it's offsetting. From there, you can decide whether scheduling, replacing an appliance, or simply changing a habit makes the most sense. If you're weighing up whether the investment is worthwhile at all, our article on whether smart plugs actually save money on Australian electricity bills walks through the realistic expectations.
Sources
- Energy Safe Victoria: Electrical DDIY – Don't do it yourself
- Electrical Safety Office Queensland: Don't do your own electrical work
- NSW Government: Making changes to a rental property
- Consumer Affairs Victoria: Renters making changes to the property
- NSW Government: Strata renovation rules
Where to buy
Retailers stocking the products in this guide. Prices and stock change often, so check the retailer before you buy. We may earn a commission from these links at no extra cost to you.
- Eve Energy Smart Plug (Matter over Thread): Check price at Amazon AU · Check price at eBay AU · Check price at desertcart.com.au
- Shelly Pro 4PM 4-Channel DIN Rail Relay: Check price at Big W · Check price at Kogan · Check price at Scorptec
- TP-Link Tapo P110 Smart Plug with Energy Monitoring: Check price at Amazon AU · Check price at JB Hi-Fi · Check price at Harvey Norman
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