An apparatus and method for monitoring power consumption of an appliance includes a processor in communication with a memory, the memory including program instructions for execution by the processor to determine a first stable power consumption state of the appliance, record a power consumption of the appliance during the first stable power consumption state, determine an unstable power consumption state of the appliance, suspend recording of the power consumption of the appliance during the unstable state, determine a second stable power consumption state of the appliance, resume recording of the power consumption of the appliance when the appliance is in the second stable power consumption state, and estimate a value of a power consumed during the unstable power consumption state as a factor of the recorded power consumption of the appliance during the first stable power consumption state and the second stable power consumption power state.