Power socket for reducing wastage of electrical energy and related aspects

(canceled)

The electrical power socket of claim 13, wherein the firmware algorithm automatically causes the electrical power socket to turn off power provided to a device connected to the electrical power socket when the condition or ruleset has been breached;

• and the firmware algorithm causes the electrical power socket to wait a given time frame and then to turn the power back on, wherein if the breach is still evident, the electrical power socket is caused to turn the power off.

(canceled)

The electrical power socket of claim 13, wherein the firmware algorithm automatically causes the electrical power socket to turn off power provided to a device connected to the electrical power socket when the condition or ruleset has been breached, and the firmware algorithm causes the electrical power socket to wait a given time frame and then to turn the power back on, wherein if the breach is still evident, the electrical power socket is caused to turn the power off;

• and wherein if the breach is still evident, an off-period time frame is increased by a set amount according to a number of breaches that have occurred, wherein the off-period time frame is frames are adjustable.

The electrical power socket of claim 13, wherein the power outlet determines it is delivering power associated with a wasted energy usage classification using at least the ruleset.

The electrical power socket of claim 71, wherein the power monitor determines, at intervals of 3 Hz or less, one or more or all of the following characteristics of the power drawn from the electrical power socket by the device, together with time-stamp information:

• an AC line frequency, an AC line voltage, a current drawn on outlet, an active power drawn on the outlet, a reactive power drawn on the outlet, an apparent power drawn on the outlet, and a power factor;
• and wherein the microcontroller captures data from a data store at dynamic intervals to send to the remote energy monitoring system, wherein the dynamic intervals automatically increase in length if the power monitor detects no power is being drawn and/or if a relay has turned off the delivery of power from an outlet.

The electrical power socket of claim 13, wherein the power monitor is configured to store the determined one or more characteristics of power drawn by a device and time stamp information in a data store accessible by the microcontroller.

The electrical power socket of claim 13, wherein the relay comprises a latching relay configured to de-energize after being switched so the relay does not use power to maintain its state after it has been switched on or off.

(canceled)

(canceled)

(canceled)

(canceled)

(canceled)

(canceled)

(canceled)

(canceled)

(canceled)

(canceled)

(canceled)

29-68. (canceled)