Abstract: The invention relates to a device for measuring consumption patterns through the electric network and method for the use thereof, comprising a microcontroller/processing unit control block (2) and another auxiliary device; a modulator/demodulator communications unit (3); a supply block (4), which transforms the available supply into the voltages (8) suitable for the operation of the device (1); and a measuring block (5) for measuring the electric consumption on the line (7) of the electric network, the conditioning of this measurement, comparison thereof, if necessary, with a predetermined consumption pattern, and the sending thereof to the communications block (3). A first example establishes a device for identifying the television programmes viewed on a television in order to measure audiences. A second example allows identifying the type of electric equipment associated with the electric line which allows compiling of statistics and subsequent studies.