The idea of a device that constantly keeps an eye on your home and can tell you which electrical devices are running at any one time , may sound appealing when it comes to saving energy and money . Now there ’ s a device called Neurio that claims to make any 'ordinary home smart ’ and even tells you when you 've accidently left lights on . The $ 250 ( £168 ) device recognises the electronic signature of different devices - such as kettles and washing machines - allowing users to keep an eye on their energy consumption and even control appliances through their phone . Scroll down for video . One device to rule them all : A $ 250 ( £168 ) device called Neurio ( pictured ) claims to make ‘ an ordinary home smart ’ . It recognises the electronic signature of different devices , such as kettles and washing machines , allowing users to keep an eye on their energy consumption and even control appliances through their phone . ‘ We are trying to create one sensor that can make every home smart , ’ Ali Kashani , co-founder of Neurio told Fast Company . ‘ It creates that intelligence for all of the dumb products that are already in your home and that you do n't want to replace. ’ Its website says : ‘ Using a Wi-Fi power sensor and a cloud service with some smart pattern detection algorithms , Neurio monitors your home 's electricity to figure out what your appliances are up to - without the need to install sensors on every device. ’ Neurio feeds information about energy consumption of the devices it ’ s recognised back to an app , where users can make decisions about how to save power and money by turning gadgets off , for instance . These screenshots show the home screen ( left ) , appliances recognised ( centre ) and usage for one day ( right ) The Neurio sensor is plugged into the house ’ s breaker panel , or circuit box . It measures both differential voltage and current signals every split second and these signals are used to calculate power and energy consumption . The measurements are sent to the Neurio Cloud where algorithms identify appliances and behaviours based on unique electronic signals . When the algorithms detect that a device has been turned on or off , or a user returning home , they notify the Neurio app and services such as IFTTT which allows devices to be controlled from smartphones . The app , which is available for iOS and Android phones and tablets , gives users real-time feedback about their home . It tells them which appliances are greedily consuming energy , for example . The device plugs into a breaker box , or circuit box in a house where it gradually learns to recognise the electric ‘ signature ’ of different gadgets and appliances . Users can train Neurio to recognise a light bulb for example , by flicking a light on and off to tell the accompanying app what to detect . Alternatively , an algorithm allows it to learn for itself based on crowdsourced information , to tell it what a microwave ’ s signature looks like , for example . Neurio feeds information about energy consumption of the devices it ’ s recognised back to an app , where users can make decisions about how to save power and money by turning gadgets off , for instance . ‘ It you will even gently nag you if you forget to turn off the lights before going to bed , ’ the website says . ‘ …Some customers have saved as much as 44 per cent on their energy usage. ’ Because it monitors the home around the clock , Neurio can give owners peace of mind if they think they have left their oven switched on , for example . The device monitors a home around the clock so it can tell users if they have left their oven on , if their washing is finished and if the water is cold ( all illustrated ) . When used with another app , Neurio can be used to turn appliances and household devices on and off remotely . It can also be used to keep an eye on inhabitants , by showing if relatives are eating regularly or if children are spending too long watching television , for example . The device can send reminders to take washing out of the machine when the cycle is complete , for example . And it also allows users to control home appliances remotely by using apps such as IFTTT , to start a washing machine while they are out , for example . Neurio is open platform so it can work with smart devices such as the Nest thermostat too .
$ 250 ( £168 ) Neurio device claims to make 'an ordinary home smart ' Recognises the electronic signature of different devices , such as kettles . Information is fed to an app to tell users their home 's energy consumption . Comment: