A method for managing energy consumption to reduce peak power loads caused by household appliances or other electrically powered devices, comprising:
- providing an electrically powered appliance that includes a power component adapted to be utilized by devices requiring electrical power;
- providing a controller that includes a microprocessor adapted to control a switch programmed and adapted for monitoring and managing the operational status of said devices;
- wherein said controller is adapted for communicating with at least one other controller that is adapted to monitor and manage at least one of said devices, to thereby manage the operational status of at least two of said devices, or to synchronize the operational toggling of at least two of said devices;
- wherein monitoring said devices includes tracking the operational status of at least one of said devices;
- wherein managing said devices includes activating or deactivating, or allowing activation or deactivation, of at least one component of at least one of said devices;
- wherein said controller is programmed to be capable of automatically activating or deactivating, or allowing activation or deactivation, of at least one power component of at least one of said devices;
- wherein said controller is programmed to be capable of allowing at least one of said devices to be fully operational, while preventing at least one other of said devices from being fully operational, wherein at least one of said devices is fully operational, while at least one other of said devices is at least partially non-operational at the same time, to manage the operational status of at least two of said devices, or to synchronize the operational toggling of at least two of said devices;
- wherein a said controller is programmed to be capable of automatically exchanging the operational status of at least two of said devices, so that a partially or fully non-operational device becomes a fully operational device, while a fully operational device becomes a partially or fully non-operational device;
- wherein, after said exchange, at least one of said devices is fully operational, while at least one other of said devices is partially or fully non-operational at the same time, in order to manage the operational status of at least two of said devices, or to synchronize the operational toggling of at least two of said devices;
- and
- wherein said controller is programmed to be capable of automatically and consecutively exchanging the said operational status of at least two of said devices multiple times, as they systematically toggle back and forth together, wherein said toggling continues until it is interrupted by at least one said programmed controller.