Measure, track, and monitor energy consumption

I want to identify my biggest consumers and then do it properly.

I always ask myself with such topics, what am I going to do with the answer? I still have to operate the dryer, the washing machine, the stove, etc. I may then know how much the evening TV program costs me in cents and €, but do I watch less TV because of that? So what is your goal when you have found the biggest consumers or what measures do you want to derive from it (that justify the technical effort, which also affects the wallet)?

Exactly. It only makes sense, for example, if you combine the measurement directly with an actuator, so that the devices are not running in standby or to temporarily turn off the router or access point. Which is annoying if the TV turns off at 11:00 pm on Monday evening during vacation because you forgot to remove it.

That's why you can basically forget about that in the kitchen too. A coffee machine obviously uses energy, but that doesn't mean you drink less coffee.
And devices have also gotten better with standby in recent years. Often it's not even worth turning them off with an actuator because the actuator also uses energy, 24/7.

"I want to identify my biggest consumers" - to achieve what?

To find out if perhaps the consumption of individual devices might not be alright.
Because if I subtract heating and hot water, then we consume over 6,000 kWh/a. I think that is too much.
Well, then the pump power of the heating and ventilation system is still missing, as these Vaillant does not include in their energy consumption.
My wife's plant lamps - she herself had already got remotely controllable intermediate sockets that can also measure - which I initially suspected, only contribute about 900 kWh (also a lot, but cannot be the majority).
I suspect the cooling devices (more consumption than specified? leaking?) or that the stove also draws something at idle or my home computer, switch, no idea.
At the moment I am blindly moving forward.

To find out if the consumption of individual devices might perhaps not be okay.

Why not simply pragmatically buy a power meter for the socket then? So always measure directly at the device and then go from device to device.

1. Because I am lazy. 2. Because I can imagine that the consumption fluctuates and I would like to have a longer observation period per connection.

But yes, that's probably what it will come down to - I just got myself a three-pack of cans...