I had smart meters fitted a while back. Purely for convenience because access to the meters is not so good after a porch, but I did also think that monitoring energy would be a bonus. Well, it wasn't, not really, the monitor unit doesn't respond quick enough to switching things on and off and there are too many other things that might or might not be running at the same time. i.e. the fridge or freezer might cut in/out etc. Anyway, it is way less than satisfactory.
So, I looked at monitoring individual appliances. Basically you plug in the unit and plug the appliance into it and it monitors the energy usage. I did a bit of research and came up with TP-Link. The unit is the Tapo P110. cost £14. Energy is monitored via an app on the smart phone. I'm impressed, very simple and effective and quite good fun. And I now know the exact cost of running a full wash through the washing machine. (25p)
So, I looked at monitoring individual appliances. Basically you plug in the unit and plug the appliance into it and it monitors the energy usage. I did a bit of research and came up with TP-Link. The unit is the Tapo P110. cost £14. Energy is monitored via an app on the smart phone. I'm impressed, very simple and effective and quite good fun. And I now know the exact cost of running a full wash through the washing machine. (25p)
