Electricity monitors

[Hilary]

Can anyone recommend a particular model of electricity-usage monitor?

Our energy bills are astronomical and I'd like to get one of these monitors so that I can see where all the electricity is going (and, hopefully, adjust the way we use it)!

If anyone has had a monitor that they would recommend (or one they wouldn't recommend), it would help me get started.

 

[natalielongstaff]

You can hire me if you want, im obsessed with turning everything off !! ( except the pc )

 

[Goofyish]

I have the Efergy model.

I gives you a constant readout of your energy usage (in KWh) and will also tell you how much your consumption is costing (you need to enter the cost per unit - but it doesn't handle economy 7).

It has a useful memory function that records your daily, weekly and monthly usage - so if your a geek like me you can do lots of graphs in Excel LOL).

The new Owl CM119 also looks good and offers economy 7 support.

Check out this site for a comparison chart of available models:

http://www.electricity-monitor.com/energy-monitor-comparison-chart-i-26.html

 

[emily1982]

Someone on another forum was saying they have the owl one.

 

[Hilary]

Thanks, everyone

I've just ordered an Owl (from the site you linked, Tim - thanks) and can't wait to get started on waging my own personal war on wasting electricity!

 

[paulh]

we got the owl from the mail on sunday cost was just the postage and vouchers.its greal i can tell if the kids turn on ther telivison on when they go to bed with out moving
Paulh

 

[paulh]

intresting fact a dimmer switch uses more energy when you dim the lights.if you can use led lights as use fraction of power,last longer and work out cheaper in the long run
Paulh

 

[oceanscape]

I was going to get something like this, but then realised that the amount of money we'd save probably wouldn't even be enough to pay for the monitor in the first place!

 

[Tammy Stringer]

We also got the Owl one through the Mail on Sunday deal. Trouble is I am manically turning off all the lights now - especially the spotlights in the kitchen as the energy monitor goes through the roof

It makes Kev mad when he is trying to make the sandwiches in the dark

Seriously though it does make you realise what things take a lot of energy. Hopefully the electric bill will get smaller and Kev will appreciate all my hard work. We need all the money we can for our holiday in May - especially with the dollar in free fall

Tammy

 

[tubtruck]

Must admit should start to use one of these. We hardly turn anything off, I dont think my desktop computer has actually be switched off this week, by that i dont mean left on standby, I mean just left running with screen switched on. We tend to leave lights on all over the house too.
I imagine my carbon footprint must be massive, perhaps i might make have to make an effort.
DW does collect bottles and tins for recycling but she never gets round to taking them to recycling centre so eventually I get sick and throw them all in the normal bin.
The facilities our council give us for recycling are rubbish, we got a small blue box for plastic bottles but the problem with it was it was so small and light when windy it blew over leaving bottles all over the place. In the end this went in the main wheelie bin too.

 

[Miffy2003]

I was going to get something like this, but then realised that the amount of money we'd save probably wouldn't even be enough to pay for the monitor in the first place!

I agree

Your electricity meter will do this for free if you read it at set times - although you won't be able to have any of the gimmicks Tim mention above currently

I fully expect there to be a mandate from the governement for all suppliers to supply smart meters* to domestic customers in the near future. I think 2020 was the last target date I heard? It's being brought in (mandatory) for larger businesses already, and has been in place for very large businesses for years.

But if the devices in the marketplace now work for you and help you save energy and money then that's a good thing.


*meter readings taken frequently and sent back to supplier via a comms line

 

[Hilary]

Your electricity meter will do this for free if you read it at set times - although you won't be able to have any of the gimmicks Tim mention above currently

Hi Karen

I think the attraction of these devices is their portability. The remote reading facility means you can be standing next to an appliance and instantly see what difference it makes to electricity consumption as you switch it on and off.

I've spent too many fruitless trips already running to and from our meter in the garage to watch the speed of the wheel going round or, more recently, the blinking red light while DH switches things on and off! I want the easiest option available - and the one that will show everyone else in the house what differences they could be making

I'm hoping to instigate enough energy-saving measures to cover the outlay on buying the machine (even if it means sitting in the dark! ), but I did see that they can also be rented quite cheaply - about £13 for 30 days - which makes them more cost-effective if you can organise yourself into doing all the testing and analysing within the timeframe

 

[jjpenguin]

I got one from my work, as part of there going green campaign, but haven't used it yet.
We're pretty good at switching everything off. Nothing goes on standby and if I say I'm off to bed and then come back downstairs again DH has turned all the lights off!

 

[paulh]

I got one from my work, as part of there going green campaign, but haven't used it yet.
We're pretty good at switching everything off. Nothing goes on standby and if I say I'm off to bed and then come back downstairs again DH has turned all the lights off!

DW do`s that when she go`s to bed but i am still in the room
Paulh

 

[Miffy2003]

I think the attraction of these devices is their portability. The remote reading facility means you can be standing next to an appliance and instantly see what difference it makes to electricity consumption as you switch it on and off.

Hi Hilary

I can see that is a plus; I think I am just too mean to pay for something that I can get for free (especially when I can send Jon running around to shout out meter readings)