Electricity Usage Monitor

[vortex2]

Some months ago sombody started a thread here looking for the source of an electricity usage monitor as seen on some TV program or other. AAIR nobody could help. I can't find the original thread now either.

I recall also seeing the same programme (probably involving Dick Strawbridge) and thinking "that looks like an Oregon Scientific gadget"...but I could not find it for sale anywhere.

Well I just found it and ordered one.

course it could be complete s**te. I'll report in a week or 2. Anybody out there got one?

David

[Bill Taylor]

Yes, had one for 18 months. It does what it says, i.e. reports power consumption every few seconds, and displays that as power, cost or CO2.

Bill

[John Stumbles]

But how much energy and CO2 emissions does it take to make & ship, and for its batteries etc? :-)

Seriously, I think an analogue display such as the spinning disc on the company's meter gives more idea how much leccy one is using than figures on a digital display. Problem is of course the meter is inevitably stashed away somewhere invisible. Something giving an audible indication, placed near (and monitoring consumption of) heavy power-consuming devices such as cookers and heaters might give a useful reminder to switch such items off when not in use.

[Vortex]

I think it's deeply ironic that it's battery powered.

The reason I ordered it is to cross check my electricity meter which I am convinced overreads by 15-20%. I'm probably completely wrong but this is a pretty inexpensive way to get a second opinion.

Also will be able to provide good ammo when confronting wasteful children who think nothing of leaving lights on all day, or unwatched televisions.

David

[Alan]

I have one, it works well. They are a little cheaper from here:

(watch word wrap)

It's interesting what draws what when you try and isolate what the "tickover" loads that are always present, just when you though everything is off.

And when the oven is on you're very aware of it's cost to run! [To be replaced with a gas one when it next dies....]

Alan.

[Andrew Gabriel]

A colleague at work has one. It's interesting, but as it doesn't measure voltage or work out power factor, it isn't a true power meter and won't give accurate readings for all loads.

[Alan]

In message , andrew@a20.?.invalid wrote

At currents below 1A the accuracy is unspecified. Inaccuracy for currents of 1A to 3A is 10%. The unit defaults to a voltage setting of

240V which may also be out by 10% for a UK domestic supply.

It's no good for telling you how much your TV takes on standby and its probably inaccurate by 10 to 20 percent for normal electricity usage. The best accuarcy is when you are taking 17KW :)

[Bill Taylor]

Can't say I care!

Yes, if you're disciplined enough you can work out the consumption of various items by reading the meter, but the electrisave gives a more direct and more easily interpreted approximation.

It is moderately useful for reminding you that you've left something on. The display is portable, so it can be kept somewhere visible; once you've established your base consumption it's easy to see if you've forgotten to turn something off.

[Andy Hall]

It would also be more useful for its intended purpose if instead of measuring the gross consumption at the meter, it had the ability to have a lot more sensors and measure on individual circuits after the CU.

[nickt]

Don't know it anyone is interested but I make this thing (http://

First sold it in 1983! using a Commodore 64! It's not as convenient as an Electrisave but a lot cheaper and much more accurate.