Smart homes save energy right? Occupancy sensors turn off lights in vacant rooms, scenes and timers activate only the devices that are needed, only when they’re needed, and energy use feedback adjusts our behavior.

After measuring the standby power consumption of various Zigbee and Z-Wave devices, I became curious about what efficiency regulations governed them. The EU has typically been at the forefront of energy use regulations, famously introducing the idea of a common charger back in 2009 before later mandating it, and issuing ecodesign requirements for transformers as early as 2009 (EC No 278/2009). Infact their first energy labelling directives were issued way back in in 1979.