Single hen

[Olly]

Does anyone on here have one of those devices that tells you how much power you are using? (Yes, I know there's a meter in my cupboard but you need to be a contortionist to see it!)

 

I'm concerned both because my bills seem to have gone up a lot, and also in general terms because I'd like to reduce my energy usage. I've seen a few, but they all cost about £50 so it's not going to be an impulse purchase.

 

Have you got one? Do you recommend it? Has it helped you to reduce your electricity usage? Or are they just an eco-gimmick?

Edited August 6, 2008 by Guest

[Charlottechicken]

I saw one in B&Q, Olly. I was interested until I saw the price, like you say about £50 Suffice to say I didn't buy one.

 

There was talk of these on the INEBG forum. Have you looked there?

[bronze]

The problem with them is that that they only show the electricity currently being used (we have one 'borrowed' from dhs work). I was hoping it would show how much we had used that day etc but its not very useful at all except when I see it it reminds me to turn more things off. I wouldnt spend the money to be honest

[Goosey Lucy]

We've just bought someting like this from Aldi, I think it cost about £25. It plugs into a socket then your appliance plugs into it (hope this makes sense)

 

We've not got around to using it yet tho'

 

Lucy

[Olly]

That's helpful, more or less confirms what I was thinking then, Bronze. I think I'd rather save the money to pay the bills with!

 

Thanks for the tip about Aldi, Lucy. The gadgets I've seen clip to your meter, and then tell you how much you are using overall, rather than just one appliance.

 

I might get one of these things that turns off the whole computer when you shut it down, that would be a better use of the money I think. Thanks for your replies.

[The Dogmother]

Might be better off fitting energy saving light bulbs (if you haven't already) and switching things off - lights if you're not in the room and switching the TV etc off at the socket rather than leaving it powered up. Don't leave things on standby either.

[bronze]

than just one appliance.

 

I might get one of these things that turns off the whole computer when you shut it down, that would be a better use of the money I think. Thanks for your replies.

I want one of those

I also like the ones that you can press one button as I cant get to the sockets for my tv and all the gumph that goes with it

[Olly]

I've got energy-saving bulbs in most of the lights, there are a couple where they won't fit. And I always turn the TV off at the wall, and turn off chargers for electric toothbrush, phone etc when not used.

 

I had a friend lodging with me for a few months last year, and she pointed out that I didn't turn my phone charger off - I'm afraid it just hadn't occurred to me! She is a fanatical composter, recycler and turner-offer, and it really made me change some of the things I do.

 

I think I'm going to make some 'Green' NY Resolutions - try and pick five things and change them next year.

[The Dogmother]

That's a cool idea Olly - let us know what you choose.

I'm always turning things off and have to stop myself doing it at Phil's house - he has lights on all over the place and TVs and radios blaring in nearly every room. Apart from the noise factor - the waste does my head in!

 

http://www.thegreenshop.co.uk is a good place to start for ideas and a wonderful visit if you're near them.

[Helly Welly]

I do have one of the expensive ones and it has helped. If we get an innocuous reading we start searching the house to work out what we've left on. It has also shown us just how much electricity the kettle and cooker use so we tend to use these more efficiently. In the mornings i will boil a full kettle and put it in a thermos flask for my cuppas during the day. If i'm putting the oven on i'll make sure its not for just one item.

[Guest]

I haven't followed this up, but I am certain I read somewhere that your Electricity Company has to provide one of these gadgets free if you ask for one.

 

Did anyone else read that - and has anyone asked?

[Olly]

gosh, I read the Newsletter, and thought my prayers had been answered when I read about the 'Wattson'. Exactly what I need, I thought.

 

Then I clicked on the link, and read the details - even better. Then I got to the price HOW MUCH?!!!

 

sorry - great idea, but if I could afford that I wouldn't be worrying so much about the 'lecky bill!

[Charlottechicken]

Then I clicked on the link, and read the details - even better. Then I got to the price HOW MUCH?!!!

 

sorry - great idea, but if I could afford that I wouldn't be worrying so much about the 'lecky bill!

 

Yikes!!

 

I was 1% away from fuel poverty until my provider decided to ask for monthly readings recently, they've just dropped my direct debit bill by £16 per month, phew! Not so worried about the bills now, but I won't be buying any special gadgets to check my fuel consumption, I will just have to see how fast the little wheel on the meter is turning from now on!

[chickenanne]

I have a real problem with "green gadgets" becuase like most gadgets you'll end up not using them much /at all after a couple of months.

If you think of the manufacturing cost in terms of pollutants /CO2 etc as compared to their useful life then they are not "green" at all!

I think everyone already knows what they need to do to reduce fuel consumption, so don't see how these really help....

[Guest]

You also have to make sure you are on the right electricity tariff. In the winter we switch to one where the night electric (econ 7) is cheaper still but the day elecric is more pricey, the reason for thsi is that Mum has storage heaters in her part of the house so overnight she is using a fair bit of electric. In the summer we switch it back and make a saving on our day rate instead.

 

I've fitted entergy saving bulbs wherever possible and we have the littll Gwatsit ones in my living room lights. I also wander round moaning about how many lights get left on

 

I keep the appliances turned right off where I can - the microwave is only on when I use it BUT there is a built in microwave in the kitchen that we can't get out and the power is BEHIND IT - we think the worksurface was put on last. The telly NEVER goes on standby, but it doesn't get turned off at the switch cos the Sky+ box is also plugged in on the same extention and if its unplugged it doesn't record.

 

TIP FOR SKY PLUS USERS - It can be set to go onto standby overnight which uses less electricity AND IT WILL STILL RECORD WHEN ITS ON STANDBY. So you can pop it onto standby when you go out too and save a few pence.

 

Oh and ALL of my Clark Griswald Christmas lights are LED ones and effectivly use LESS electricity than the string of fairy lights on my tree. In the Jan sales I shall buy LED fairy lights for next year.

[Guest]

I do have one of the expensive ones and it has helped. If we get an innocuous reading we start searching the house to work out what we've left on. It has also shown us just how much electricity the kettle and cooker use so we tend to use these more efficiently. In the mornings i will boil a full kettle and put it in a thermos flask for my cuppas during the day. If i'm putting the oven on i'll make sure its not for just one item.

 

I have a HUGE range cooker and I only use the oven if I'm cooking a roast for the whole family. Anything else I cook in Mums oven which is a smaller than normal oven.

[craftyhunnypie]

Don't get a meter! They reckon that you end up paying more by having one! Claret's idea of energy saving bulbs is better & maybe cooking in a remoska (uses little energy) would be better for you! I keep telling my parents to go back to a normal electric meter!

 

Emma.x

[Olly]

Just thought I'd update this topic, Iwent to my brother's home for Christmas, and discovered that he is using an 'Owl' monitor http://www.electricity-monitor.com/owl-c-30.html?gclid=CKOst_fNyZACFQgsQwodcheoXw

 

He says it has helped them save money, because they realised how much some things were using, and it taught them to turn off things on standby, for example. I think I'm already into fairly good habits about this sort of thing, but it was interesting to see this in action.

 

You can programme in the price you pay for electricity, and then it tells you how many pence an hour it's costing you to run things. I am tempted, but it is £49.99 ... I have some vouchers to use up. According to this website, reducing your electricity consumption by just 1p per hour can save you £85 per year.

[WitchHazel]

I have an OWL, and it's brilliant.

 

We already knew that leaving things on standby was costing us money, but it the Owl really helped us see exactly how much electricity (and money) we were "wasting" per appliance. Some of them were not much, others (like the washing machine) were a surprising amount.

 

We now know what our normal minimum running rate is, and we can see instantly if we've left something on somewhere because the monitor shows we're using more than we should. We discovered that our underfloor heating was coming on at an odd time too.

 

As a minumum we've saved about 1 kilowatt of elctricity per hour for 18 hours a day, which works out at a saving of just over a pound a day. *This is through turning off standby for the TV, DVD, Amp, Skybox, my laptop, house computer, washing machine, microwave, phone chargers sitting in the socket, plug in air fresheners, dishwasher...etc.

 

We also have a plug in meter which tells us how much electricity an individual item has used over a period of time. That's been helpful in deciding when to use the underfloor heating, for example, and for electrcal items which are too small to register on the Owl.

[Olly]

gosh, that is encouraging! I've searched the internet and the bottom price seems to be £49, but from what you have said WitchHazel, it would pay for itself quite quickly!

 

I am shocked that even plug-in air fresheners count ... I never use the things, but I have always assumed that sort of thing would be minimal. Right, where did I put those vouchers, I am convinced now!

[Charlottechicken]

Hmm, I only have two appliances that I don't turn off at the socket and they are my old hifi and the microwave. Do you think they would use much electricity when the appliance is off but the plug is on Everything else I can unplug, and do.

[WitchHazel]

I am shocked that even plug-in air fresheners count ... I never use the things, but I have always assumed that sort of thing would be minimal.

 

They are minimal...but they aren't 0. And what I found was I had quite a few "minimal" things (four plug in air fresheners, two phone chargers which we left switched on, another battery charger thing...)

[WitchHazel]

The price is expensive - one thing you could maybe do, is buy it with a relative and share it. Then one of you have it for the first, say, month, then pass it on.

[WitchHazel]

I am shocked that even plug-in air fresheners count ... I never use the things, but I have always assumed that sort of thing would be minimal.

 

They are minimal...but they aren't 0. And what I found was I had quite a few "minimal" things (four plug in air fresheners, two phone chargers which we left switched on, another battery charger thing...)

 

If these are all you have then I would suggest investing in the plug in type of meter, which you can get from Maplin (Aldi had some too I believe).

 

You plug this meter into your socket, and then plug the appliance(s) into the meter. Leave it, come back some time later and it will tell you how much electricity you used over what period of time. You can then (manually) calculate how much electricity per minute, and therefore what the cost is.

 

I have a new microwave, and just for the clock it uses 0.05 kWh. That's 1.2kW per day (0.05x24), which is 438 kW per year. My electric is, say, 5p per kWh (actually its a bit more, but 5p is an easier nbumber to do in my head), so my microwave clock is costing me £22 per year.

[Charlottechicken]

If these are all you have then I would suggest investing in the plug in type of meter, which you can get from Maplin (Aldi had some too I believe).

 

I love Maplin, I will go and have a look for one of those!

 

I have a new microwave, and just for the clock it uses 0.05 kWh. That's 1.2kW per day (0.05x24), which is 438 kW per year. My electric is, say, 5p per kWh (actually its a bit more, but 5p is an easier nbumber to do in my head), so my microwave clock is costing me £22 per year.

 

I am pleased that my microwave is a bit clockwork with the dials and all and doesn't have a clock, but it just shows how much power can be wasted by some appliances. I do have an old electric clock though, and would love to know how much that uses!