Owl or Smart monitor reading - which to believe?

[Harry Bloomfield]

yes, and that's not what an Owl is for.

They are an instrument for monitoring current consumption and indicating that to the owner. So what have I missed?

 

[JohnD]

100% accurate

that's not what an Owl is for.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Try again

 

[winston1]

They are an instrument for monitoring current consumption and indicating that to the owner. So what have I missed?

Current consumption does not indicate watts. You also need to measure volts and phase angle. The last is important and no clip on device does this. In my opinion Owls are not fit for purpose and should be banned under Consumer Rights Act.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

Current consumption does not indicate watts. You also need to measure volts and phase angle. The last is important and no clip on device does this. In my opinion Owls are not fit for purpose and should be banned under Consumer Rights Act.

That's a bit harsh- before smart meters with their remote display they were very handy for spotting unexplained consumption (leaving the garage lights, immersion heater, outside lights on, fridge/freezer compressor running continually, that sort of thing). For the reasons you quoted, no use for accurate billing info though

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

That's a bit harsh- before smart meters with their remote display they were very handy for spotting unexplained consumption (leaving the garage lights, immersion heater, outside lights on, fridge/freezer compressor running continually, that sort of thing). For the reasons you quoted, no use for accurate billing info though

Correct, I had something similar - still have one kicking about somewhere. Now we have access to something much better, which accurately indicates what we will be charged exactly, so no surprises.

 

[JohnW2]

The Owl has a clamp meter and is not very accurate at low levels (a few hundred watts). And it only receives periodic signals. I have an idea that some loads, such as fridge and freezer compressor motors, are not very accurate. Larger, resistive loads such as heaters, are pretty good. ... It is surprisingly accurate above 1kW (try switching on a 3kW kettle or immersion heater).

As I have previously illustrated, once I had established an appropriate 'average voltage' and 'average PF' to use, my OWL has proved incredibly accurate over the long-term.

As the two graphs below show, over the last ~5 years, the OWL's cumulative total of my usage, for both day and night, differs from the 'metred' ~20,000 kWh (for each of day and night) by only a very small handful of kWh, even though total usage is most often considerably less than 1kW (commonly around 500W). It is also very sensitive to small changes - even when the total consumption is high (say, >3kW), the effect of switching just one LED light on or off can easily be seen.

Kind Regards, John

 

[BS3036]

In my opinion Owls are not fit for purpose and should be banned under Consumer Rights Act.

You don't 'alf talk a load of rubbish.

 

[winston1]

You don't 'alf talk a load of rubbish.

No. You may think that but you are wrong.

 

[BS3036]

So what does "should be banned under Consumer Rights Act" even mean?

 

[JohnW2]

In my opinion Owls are not fit for purpose and should be banned under Consumer Rights Act.

You're obviously entitled to your opinion. However, why not look at my post #22 and then tell us whether you still hold the same opinion.

 

[Vicario]

I think I'll ditch the Owl for a few weeks until I get used to the new Smart monitor. One good feature is the light that changes from green to amber, then red to show the level of consumption. Thanks for all the replies, by the way.

 

[winston1]

So what does "should be banned under Consumer Rights Act" even mean?

They are sold as an accurate way to measure power consumption which they do not do. Goods must be fit for the purpose which the Owl is not.

John what you have done is beyond the capabilities of the average buyer.

 

[BS3036]

They are sold as an accurate way to measure power consumption which they do not do. Goods must be fit for the purpose which the Owl is not.

I asked you what "should be banned under Consumer Rights Act" means. Describe the legal procedure you will undergo to 'ban' them.

 

[SUNRAY]

They are sold as an accurate way to measure power consumption which they do not do. Goods must be fit for the purpose which the Owl is not.

John what you have done is beyond the capabilities of the average buyer.

I have to disagree entirely in the strongest of terms on this...
My first introduction to an owl was by a single female painter/decorator who didn't know one end of a fuse box from the other, one day she asked me to look at her graph which covered all of 2018 and half of 2019 with weekly readings of her mechanical KWh meter. For all intents and purposes it was a clone of Johns graph except the last 3 or 4 readings which were significantly higher than the owl... Reported to energy supplier who changed the meter straightaway and accepted the Owls results for the bill.
Yet again it's all down to learning how to use the equipment.