Abstract: A method of processing a utility consumption signal, comprising: monitoring an input utility consumption signal for a change in magnitude; if a change is detected: extracting a first portion of the input signal including the change; extracting a first set of features corresponding to the first portion; determining an event probability value for each of one or more utility consuming device state changes, the or each event probability value being determined from the first set of features and being the probability that the first portion of the signal corresponds to the change in state of the device; if none of the event probability values are above a first threshold value; searching for two or more plateaus in the first portion, wherein each pair of adjacent plateaus define a further change in magnitude of the signal between the plateaus; if two or more plateaus are detected: extracting a sub-portion of the signal corresponding to each of the further changes and each combination of the further changes; ext