Reccomend an energy meter?

[mattylad]

Hello, with all the energy meters available these days I'm wondering what peoples opinions are of them?

Can you recommend a particular one, or does yours no do something as you would like it - are there any problems etc?

Links appreciated.

They vary in cost from 9.99 upwards & apart from having to manually plug everything in/out I'm wondering is it really worth the extra cost to get a wireless one, especially when it will only really be used once to figure our what costs what to run.

Also those that tell you how much something is costing to run, is it hard to figure out exactly how to program it with the costs, because as usually our bills are extremely hard to interpret.

Cheers,
Matty

 

[ericmark]

Some energy meters are a complete waist of time and money they only do the same as the electric meter already installed by the supply company. Others are really just amp meters which since nearly everything you buy tells you what it uses anyway is also a waist of time. There are some though which monitor how much is used by a single item over a time period these are helpful as when used on fridges, freezers, washing machines, dishwashers etc. tell you what they use on average so can alert you when insulation is damaged on a fridge or when you domestic water is too cool and your using electric to heat the water in the washing machine etc.
But since they only measure the electrical energy they can give misleading results for example washing cloths at lower temperatures often means slightly longer cycle so if hot fill it can show it costs more at low temp than high as it has not included the price to heat the water.
But just reading your meter daily can tell you a lot.
Eric

 

[sm1thson]

They vary in cost from 9.99 upwards & apart from having to manually plug everything in/out I'm wondering is it really worth the extra cost to get a wireless one, especially when it will only really be used once to figure our what costs what to run.

measuring individual devices is good, but measuring at the meter is also good, as when you use the plug in ones its easy to see how 'little' most things use, when you use the wireless ones to measure at the meter you see just how much all the little things add up. for example my Dad has a plug in one, and has measured most things in the house, but last weekend we put a clamp meter on and he was very surprised at how much he was using. There are pros and cons to both, having both would work out well.

 

[mattylad]

This is sounding expensive

I take it I could make a short extension lead that exposes the insulated live cable to show individual items so the clamp can be attached to it ?

I dont think a wireless meter will work too well with my stone floors from the cellar to the attic bedrooms

 

[VanSolo]

You can get a plug in energy meter from some of the energy supply companies. N Power sent us one free of charge.