Has anyone actually got an EDF energy monitor?

[fatboy b]

Apart from being the most annoying advert on Radio at the moment:

"Turning hair dryer on now"
"Oh"
"Turning hair dryer off now"
"Ooooooo"
"on now"
"Oh"
"Off now"
"Ooooooo"



I find it a little strange that someone wants to see exactly what they're using at any time. If I want to use the microwave, it's for a bloody good reason, and therefore I'll use the energy required. My bill tells me how much I use over a 1/4. If I think it's going too high, then I'll probably keep on paying it as it's only £40 a bloody month.

[anonymous-user]

I bought one from Argos that you clip to the line out of your meter for about £30 and I've found it really useful as it made me think alot more about the gas and electricity I was using. I could see the difference when I switched off things that were on standby (PC, PS3, DVD, HiFi etc) the differences between energy saving and non energy saving bulbs. End result I brought my Electricity bill down from £120 to £45 a month, and my gas from £90 to £30 just because it made me think about whether I needed it on and whether the boiler etc running at it's most efficent (It wasn't).

So I would say it is very worthwhile as with no impact on my life other than having to wait an extra 2 seconds when I want to listen to a CD i'm now £135 a month better off!!

[garycat]

I got one given to me by my Dad as pensioners get them free I think. It does make you consider what (watt?) you're using as my house on tickover with just the fridge/freezer and a few things on standby costs over £440 per year.

[Dave_ST220]

garycat said:

I got one given to me by my Dad as pensioners get them free I think. It does make you consider what (watt?) you're using as my house on tickover with just the fridge/freezer and a few things on standby costs over £440 per year.

You must have a lot of things!!!

[Tuna]

fatboy b said:

I find it a little strange that someone wants to see exactly what they're using at any time. If I want to use the microwave, it's for a bloody good reason, and therefore I'll use the energy required. My bill tells me how much I use over a 1/4. If I think it's going too high, then I'll probably keep on paying it as it's only £40 a bloody month.

Some people have bills that are nearer 300 quid a month - if you have any electrical heating, or a badly adjusted immersion heater, or even just leave a lot of lights on, it can all add up. Tracking down the culprit can be very profitable. We use a plug in meter (cost twenty quid) and it's helpful.

Anther example - we have an old chest freezer which runs just fine. Putting the meter on it showed it cost us about 150 quid a year to run . Buying a new one reduced that to thirty quid and we've paid off the cost of replacement in a couple of years.

Your choice, but you're spending nearly 500 quid a year on electricity.

[andy43]

We've got an Owl monitor. Scary, scary, scary. Lounge lights - 2 pence an hour! Toaster! Dishwasher! Tumble drier!
I have now taken to cold cups of tea and take-out pizza quite well.

[Simpo Two]

Tuna said:

or a badly adjusted immersion heater

The builders never wired mine up. It's still not wired up after 20 years - saves a fortune!

[zac510]

Tuna said:

fatboy b said:

I find it a little strange that someone wants to see exactly what they're using at any time. If I want to use the microwave, it's for a bloody good reason, and therefore I'll use the energy required. My bill tells me how much I use over a 1/4. If I think it's going too high, then I'll probably keep on paying it as it's only £40 a bloody month.

Some people have bills that are nearer 300 quid a month - if you have any electrical heating, or a badly adjusted immersion heater, or even just leave a lot of lights on, it can all add up. Tracking down the culprit can be very profitable. We use a plug in meter (cost twenty quid) and it's helpful.

Anther example - we have an old chest freezer which runs just fine. Putting the meter on it showed it cost us about 150 quid a year to run . Buying a new one reduced that to thirty quid and we've paid off the cost of replacement in a couple of years.

Your choice, but you're spending nearly 500 quid a year on electricity.

Yeah the problem's not the electricity you use when you want to use it, it's the electricity you use when you don't want to use it/aren't at home/etc!

[dugt]

andy43 said:

We've got an Owl monitor. Scary, scary, scary. Lounge lights - 2 pence an hour! Toaster! Dishwasher! Tumble drier!
I have now taken to cold cups of tea and take-out pizza quite well.

weve got one too, got it cheap with the daily mail

dont get one unless you really need to cut back on expenses, you will never turn on half your lights again, and you will constantly be searching for ways to make it less

but its quite a good device

doug