Energy regulator

An energy regulator (or simmerstat) is an "infinite switch" that controls the temperature of a "burner" or ring on the hob of an electric stove or cooker. It can be considered as a very slow pulse-width modulation device. Although the device is similar in operation to a bimetallic switching thermostat, the device does not actually sense the temperature of the "burner" to be controlled, but uses the heating time of a very small electric heating element as an analog.