Cheap Onzo Energy meter - £8
Discussion
In the wake of the 'Smart Meters' give you cancer/piles/dandruff scare, I found these on Ebay. It's the Onzo electricity monitor.
Onzo used to supply SSE and others but pulled their services a while ago. But if you just want a 'thing' to display your current (haha!) usage, these are excellent and very cheap.
Downsides: they come with corroded rechargable battery packs in the sensor (which clips over the red cable at the meter)
Three standard AAA batts go in the sensor, three standard AA's in the display. Set the display up with Kw costs, standing charge costs, and Estimated Annual Use and the display gives a running total of use, plus costs per week. Similar to the £40 Owl monitor.
£8 including postage.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ONZO-Smart-Energy-Elect...
f:1&frcectupt=true
Onzo used to supply SSE and others but pulled their services a while ago. But if you just want a 'thing' to display your current (haha!) usage, these are excellent and very cheap.
Downsides: they come with corroded rechargable battery packs in the sensor (which clips over the red cable at the meter)
Three standard AAA batts go in the sensor, three standard AA's in the display. Set the display up with Kw costs, standing charge costs, and Estimated Annual Use and the display gives a running total of use, plus costs per week. Similar to the £40 Owl monitor.
£8 including postage.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ONZO-Smart-Energy-Elect...
f:1&frcectupt=trueBishBosh said:
Thanks for that, I just bought one a little cheaper at £6.99 from the link you supplied there is a another link under from a different supplier showing it at a slightly cheaper price. 
This will replace the owl one I have who now want a subscription....
Jeez, I've been ripped off by £1.00. :-)This will replace the owl one I have who now want a subscription....
Seems Onzo dropped the thing a while ago, there's a forum here with details of how to get the data into a spreadsheet.
Also the developer says that the clip-on sensor has RAM and also stores the readings, which the display can retrieve and catch-up when needed if the batteries go flat. Says display can therefore be powered from intermittant PC or phone charger USB port. Haven't tried that.
My average usage is about 10KW/h a day, so bunged that estimate x 365 into the 'EAC' setting. Display then shows if you're above/below the target.
I put in the tariffs from my Octopus account and so far, the Onzo seems accurate. Tariffs/time and date are set from the grey buttons under the display rear cover. The blue button on the sensor and display pairs them to each other.
https://www.navitron.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=...
Edited by Slushbox on Thursday 1st November 08:23
Just banned the household from making cups of tea, staying warm, and using the lights, to recoup my lost £1. :-)
The move to a less-juice houshold came a few months ago when my supplier jacked up the monthly D/D to £100 for gas and electric. I told them I used nowhere near that, which they ignored.
Switched supplier as a result. Now down to £60 a month. Did ditch the electric oven and ceramic hob for a gas cooker, and the six hundred watts of halogen spotlights in the lounge for LED spots.
Also revamped the home network stuff: NAS and ethernet switches on all the time, PC never turned off, 'Smart TV' and hifi plugged in permanently etc etc.
Background consumption now, with the gas boiler pump, fridge-freezer and a newish i5 desktop PC running plus a few LED room lights seems to be about 180-220 watts, the Onzo contraption says.
Wireless keyboard in room next to meter seems slightly intermittant after Onzo installed. Hmm.
The move to a less-juice houshold came a few months ago when my supplier jacked up the monthly D/D to £100 for gas and electric. I told them I used nowhere near that, which they ignored.
Switched supplier as a result. Now down to £60 a month. Did ditch the electric oven and ceramic hob for a gas cooker, and the six hundred watts of halogen spotlights in the lounge for LED spots.
Also revamped the home network stuff: NAS and ethernet switches on all the time, PC never turned off, 'Smart TV' and hifi plugged in permanently etc etc.
Background consumption now, with the gas boiler pump, fridge-freezer and a newish i5 desktop PC running plus a few LED room lights seems to be about 180-220 watts, the Onzo contraption says.
Wireless keyboard in room next to meter seems slightly intermittant after Onzo installed. Hmm.
Edited by Slushbox on Thursday 1st November 09:36
croyde said:
So you now properly turn off the pc and telly now.
A quick look around the house finds virtually every outlet with a charger plugged in.
Does a USB cable consume electricity with no phone attached?
Must get me one of these meters.
Highly scientific testing reveals that phone chargers with no phone connected do not produce a perceptible increase in watts on the gOnzo display. Fridge freezer on the other hand, 150 Gonzos, washing machine motor, 200 Gonzos, halogen desk light, 50 Gonzos, boiler pump and fan, 60 Gonzos, LED table lights, 20 Gonzos. A quick look around the house finds virtually every outlet with a charger plugged in.
Does a USB cable consume electricity with no phone attached?
Must get me one of these meters.
I've just saved you £6.39. :-)
Also, as foretold by the Interweb, the data appears to be stored in the sensor, taking the batteries out of the sensor zeros the display. All your Gonzos will disappear.
Country code is 00 for Eire, and 01 for UK, I believe. Might tie in with the defunct iPlan thing these were designed for.
EAC is estimated annual consumption. The forum I found said that the meter's EAC slowly updates itself over time. It probably ties in with the 'daily target' KwH on the right of the display, which may, or may not be what actually updates of itself.
I put my 10KwH a day estimate into the EAC input as 10 x 365 = 3650 per year. Yesterday the target showed 9.9 per day, today it's at 10Kwh.
I have used 5Kw/h today at 13.6p x 5. I blame the dishwasher. It hates me.
My life is vastly improved by this newfound weatlh of pointless electro-bollux, but slightly poorer to the tune of £7.95, batteries not included.
If only I'd bought five for £20, I'd be £12.05 better off.
EAC is estimated annual consumption. The forum I found said that the meter's EAC slowly updates itself over time. It probably ties in with the 'daily target' KwH on the right of the display, which may, or may not be what actually updates of itself.
I put my 10KwH a day estimate into the EAC input as 10 x 365 = 3650 per year. Yesterday the target showed 9.9 per day, today it's at 10Kwh.
I have used 5Kw/h today at 13.6p x 5. I blame the dishwasher. It hates me.
My life is vastly improved by this newfound weatlh of pointless electro-bollux, but slightly poorer to the tune of £7.95, batteries not included.
If only I'd bought five for £20, I'd be £12.05 better off.
Edited by Slushbox on Friday 2nd November 15:31
BishBosh said:
Still nice to have another meter reading, charging the i3 at the moment and only drawing 90watts so PV is working well, nice and sunny in Northants...
A solar powered car? Are you from the future? :-)I wonder if two Gonzos can be powered off the same sensor, given that the data is apparently stored at the sensor, and not in the display thingy.
I'd save twice as much electricity!
Edited by Slushbox on Friday 2nd November 15:39
Usually thus, as mentioned: Left pair incoming live and neutral, respectively: right pair neutral and live feed (respectively) to consumer unit. (Fusebox)
Space is tight at my meter so the sensor is clipped on the incoming live. (First cable.)
When I moved into the current property, a meter reader came round and was upset that the previous owners had wired an electric shower in to bypass the meter. An annoyed chap came round to rectify the wiring.
megaphone said:
Only problem with that is the meter itself uses power, you'll get a false reading, I wonder how much a meter uses?
Won't be much, also my meter is 'digital' inasmuch as it has er, digits. A watt or two, maybe? I also found a screen shot showing the Onzo meter displaying a real-time clock and calendar. No amount of button prodding has got this to show, but I understand there were many variations for different suppliers.
Plugging the display into a PC also erased the last two days of readings, so don't do that. :-)
The Onzo has made me switch stuff off. It's annoying to see my money ticking away, second by second.
I must get out more. :-)
selym said:
A set of AAAs after cleaning up the battery bay and I'm in!
I can foresee an Onzo Owners Club developing, where we all meet in the village hall to discuss the horrors of electric toothbrush consumption over lukewarm Nescafé and Jammie Dodgers. :-)7.2 Kw/H used today. 97 pence!
Off to lash the dishwasher with birch twigs as a penance.
BishBosh said:
Lol. Good job you’ve got that meter, I’m surprised your able to afford a dishwasher with such a high electric bill. Careful with the kettle, you’ll be drinking cold tea soon....
:-) The gOnzo tend to make me a bit obsessive. It sits there blinking at me accusingly.It looks like my estimates of 10Kw/H a day are about right so I'll be bored of it in a week and disconnect it when the batteries run out.
Backfround use (200 watts) is fridge freezer and the boiler, plus a daily dishwash,.
My eletric kettle died yesterday. I wonder if the gOnzo is 'intelligent' and starting to kill off household devices? I'll get a gas kettle to fool it.
ONZO: Dave, I need to speak with you.
DAVE: What? Who the hell is that?
ONZO: It’s me Dave. Oscar November Zulu Oscar, serial number November niner eight six..
DAVE: Yes, yes. What do you want?
ONZO: Dave, you’ve exceeded your daily energy allowance by 5.23 watts. I’m going to have to terminate your supply briefly.
DAVE: What? What have I done? For how long?
ONZO: You used your electric toothbrush for thirty seconds longer than recommended, Dave…
DAVE: Jeez…
ONZO: So in order to rebuild your energy credit I’m turning off all the lights in your habitation module for two hours, eight minutes, and thirty-two seconds, Dave…
DAVE: What? Who the hell is that?
ONZO: It’s me Dave. Oscar November Zulu Oscar, serial number November niner eight six..
DAVE: Yes, yes. What do you want?
ONZO: Dave, you’ve exceeded your daily energy allowance by 5.23 watts. I’m going to have to terminate your supply briefly.
DAVE: What? What have I done? For how long?
ONZO: You used your electric toothbrush for thirty seconds longer than recommended, Dave…
DAVE: Jeez…
ONZO: So in order to rebuild your energy credit I’m turning off all the lights in your habitation module for two hours, eight minutes, and thirty-two seconds, Dave…
Dave. said:
Great timing!
Other half was whining yesterday cos our bill has all but doubled in the last couple of months, and is blaming my new (led) security light...
Just bought the £6.39 on (I'm not bloody made of money!) and will present it to her when it arrives (no, not Christmas day).
Oh she's gonna love me!
ONZO: Turning off your Nympharium Priviledges, Dave. Other half was whining yesterday cos our bill has all but doubled in the last couple of months, and is blaming my new (led) security light...
Just bought the £6.39 on (I'm not bloody made of money!) and will present it to her when it arrives (no, not Christmas day).
Oh she's gonna love me!
Edited by Slushbox on Monday 5th November 13:01
^^^^
There's a lot of concern about user profiling from smart meters, when you're in or out, doing the ironing or having a shower.
One of the directors of Onzo, a data analytics company, did a classic 'Ratner' in disclosing the extent of user profiling by smart meters and the re-selling of that data.
There's also the 'disconnection' issue. Energy companies make mistakes, Allowing them to turn off your fridge freezer by accident or in the event of a billing dispute would not be useful.
Every year I have to double check the tariff I'm on as prices keep increasing. I spreadsheeted all of the tariffs from my last supplier, and found out that they all averaged out at the same annual cost when daily standing charges were accounted for, to the nearest £10. Few people bother, and just go by the 'recommendations' of energy switching websites.
So there's a lot of customer manipulation and devious practices in energy companies, obfusticated by baffling, nonsensical tariifs few people bother to double check. Smart meters, the cynical might say, don't benefit the user at all, other than for the 'honeymoon period of turning stuff off. The national cost of fitting them comes from increased consumer prices.
Also, it's a giant hammer to crack a small nut. Sticking Bluetooth into a meter would allow a user to check readings with a phone app and upload them, (or even use a clip-on Onzo-type device to upload them as was the original intent) but having compulsory national 24/7 close monitoring of data and the ability of the supplier to change tariffs at will, or disconnect, is a step too far for many.
As this thread shows, people do use energy monitors to track down background use, or check for a faulty meter, which is useful.
The Guardian view:
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/jun/24/smar...
There's a lot of concern about user profiling from smart meters, when you're in or out, doing the ironing or having a shower.
One of the directors of Onzo, a data analytics company, did a classic 'Ratner' in disclosing the extent of user profiling by smart meters and the re-selling of that data.
There's also the 'disconnection' issue. Energy companies make mistakes, Allowing them to turn off your fridge freezer by accident or in the event of a billing dispute would not be useful.
Every year I have to double check the tariff I'm on as prices keep increasing. I spreadsheeted all of the tariffs from my last supplier, and found out that they all averaged out at the same annual cost when daily standing charges were accounted for, to the nearest £10. Few people bother, and just go by the 'recommendations' of energy switching websites.
So there's a lot of customer manipulation and devious practices in energy companies, obfusticated by baffling, nonsensical tariifs few people bother to double check. Smart meters, the cynical might say, don't benefit the user at all, other than for the 'honeymoon period of turning stuff off. The national cost of fitting them comes from increased consumer prices.
Also, it's a giant hammer to crack a small nut. Sticking Bluetooth into a meter would allow a user to check readings with a phone app and upload them, (or even use a clip-on Onzo-type device to upload them as was the original intent) but having compulsory national 24/7 close monitoring of data and the ability of the supplier to change tariffs at will, or disconnect, is a step too far for many.
As this thread shows, people do use energy monitors to track down background use, or check for a faulty meter, which is useful.
The Guardian view:
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2017/jun/24/smar...
Warmfuzzies said:
What do you good people have set as the eac and country at please, couldn’t see for looking...
EAC is Estimated Annual Consumpton. So try 10kW/H (or so per day) x 365 = 3650. It seems the EAC auto updates within the first couple of weeks, or your current bill should show it somewhere.
The Onzo will eventually show whether you're above or below the target consumption with the last two icons in the top row.
Country Code is 01 for the UK, 00 for Eire.
[quote=ajprice]Just ordered one, and I also have an India spec electricity meter , so I'd clamp the sensor to the red cable on the left?[
The red cable on the left is (probably) the incoming live. The one on the far left is (probably) supply to the consumer unit. Either will work, but the one on the far right will be a watt/H or so more accurate.
Usually it's 'The Fourth Cable from the Left. ' (Onzo.)
There's a second button on the sensor, (not the blue one) Seems to be a battery check. A yellow light on the sensor illuminates when it's pressed. (On mine)
, so I'd clamp the sensor to the red cable on the left?[The red cable on the left is (probably) the incoming live. The one on the far left is (probably) supply to the consumer unit. Either will work, but the one on the far right will be a watt/H or so more accurate.
Usually it's 'The Fourth Cable from the Left. ' (Onzo.)
There's a second button on the sensor, (not the blue one) Seems to be a battery check. A yellow light on the sensor illuminates when it's pressed. (On mine)
bazza white said:
My 2 for £11 arrived today.The batteries have already been removed. No mamual in the box either but got it set up.
Seems to work. With tv on its about 110-120w.
Off with a few bits on standby plus fridge and freezer its reading 0 dont think yhe fridge amd freezer have kicked in and im guessing below a certain current draw it just wont register.
Mine showed 19 watts today first thing in the morning, when the freezer 'engine' was off. Only the router and the boiler energised. Seems to work. With tv on its about 110-120w.
Off with a few bits on standby plus fridge and freezer its reading 0 dont think yhe fridge amd freezer have kicked in and im guessing below a certain current draw it just wont register.
Having an Onzo is like those Tamagotchi things, needs constant attention.
bazza white said:
On the weekly cycle does it reset on a monday or 7 days from first use?
I think it's seven days from first use. Also, to reinforce the notion that the info is stored in the sensor I replaced the batteries in my sensor with NiCads, and the meter lost all historical data. (But not the time or EAC settings etc. )
Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff