Sense makes a small device that clamps onto the electrical panel in your home and uses machine learning to identify every appliance from its unique electrical signature. Plug in a Sense monitor and within a few weeks it starts recognizing your refrigerator, dryer, HVAC system, EV charger, and dozens of other devices — without any smart plugs or additional hardware. You get a real-time breakdown of where every watt goes.
The technology relies on high-frequency current and voltage sampling at one million data points per second. Different appliances create distinct patterns — a heat pump’s compressor looks nothing like a hair dryer in the electrical signal — and Sense’s algorithms learn to distinguish them over time. The companion app shows live power consumption, device-level usage history, monthly cost estimates, and alerts when something unusual happens, like a sump pump running when it shouldn’t be.
Beyond individual homeowners, Sense works with solar installers and utilities. Solar customers can see exactly how much self-generated power each appliance consumes versus what comes from the grid. Utility programs use Sense data to target efficiency recommendations and identify homes with faulty equipment. The company is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has sold hundreds of thousands of monitors, and employs around 100 people. With energy costs rising and more homes adding solar, batteries, and EVs, granular visibility into electricity usage is shifting from nice-to-have to essential, and Sense is the most sophisticated residential solution available.
