I'm using a 20A Enerwave z-wave outlet with a Wink 2 Hub. I've also automated a bunch of my house with Lutron and Leviton switches/dimmers as well. Highly recommended if you're into that sort of thing. I bailed on SmartThings due to issues with their cloud processing. The Wink hub isn't as capable but uses local processing so I don't wake up to a cold E61 group.

I leave mine on 24/7. I would think the expanding and contracting would cause more problems then just the heat, the machines are built with heat in mind. I think its pretty much just preference though, I just like having it on anytime I want to use it.

I've had a Linea Mini for ~9 months now. For about 8 of those I've been using a WiFi outlet and love it. I haven't really done much number crunching, but a few months ago I started leaving my machine on 24/7 and have found the energy use to be not much different than turning it on or off. Heating up from a cool state takes a lot of juice while maintaining heat seems to be fairly small. I'm going to revisit my decision at some point just to get better numbers...
In my case, I'd have the machine on for a couple hours in the morning and a couple in the evening. I would guess that if I knew I were only going to use the machine for an hour or so in the morning, I could save power by scheduling things.

I definitely recommend the WiFi plug regardless. If I come hope from the airport, I can be on the subway and flip it on and everything will be nice and ready when I get home.

Fair warning: if you do schedule a turn off time, make sure it's well clear of when you're using the machine. It's very frustrating when your machine automatically turns off in the middle of a shot...because you told it to.

number9 wrote:Care to share code? I would be interested in looking at your real world solution. Perhaps we could take this to another thread.

Sorry for the delay. Bronchitis and strep slowed me down getting the post together. Still working on pictures and screenshots.

Astoria Argenta Power Control

I leave the machine on for my entire "potential espresso window", which is normally the morning only, but days like today when I'm off, I leave it powered on all day.

So since I remembered this thread, I downloaded data from my Wemo for my QM Andreja Premium:
30 minute initial heatup = 0.24785 kWh
30 minutes of idle = 0.06007kWh

Seeing that heat-up cycle uses as much energy as 2 hours idle time, does reinforce the decision. Especially since if I heat it up off-peak and let it idle during peak energy time.

...but your measured heat up cycle is presumably from a totally cold machine ? I don't have your machine, but I'd expect that after 2 hours switched off it would still be quite warm or even hot, so the heat up cycle would use less energy than you have measured.

There are arguments both ways for the switch it off/leave it on discussion - some come from the days of the old valve (tube) type equipment where the on/off shock shortened the life of components, and it's obviously more convenient to leave it on too.

Sadly, you will always use more energy leaving it on - any other result defies the laws of physics although as you point out off peak/off peak rates affect the costs.

I switch mine on (using off peak) in the morning, then after using it, set it to standby (the machine automatically drops to a lower temperature, so the rate of heat loss is lower) then kick it back up a few minutes before it's needed, then normally off for the rest of the day.