PhantomLoad

PhantomLoad helps households identify “always-on” electricity waste without requiring smart plugs everywhere. Users enter their utility, rate plan, and a simple inventory of common devices (router, TV, game console, chargers, smart speakers, etc.). The app guides a 15-minute “breaker walk” and a couple of timed meter/utility-interval readings to estimate baseline load and attribute it to likely culprits using probability models. It then produces a ranked action list with realistic savings ranges, payback time, and convenience tradeoffs (e.g., smart power strip vs. device settings). It also tracks progress with a weekly baseline score and alerts when baseline creeps up again. This is not magic: accuracy improves if the user has a smart meter/Green Button data, but the app remains usable with manual readings and photos of the meter. The goal is practical, low-effort reductions, not perfect device-level metering.