Best energy monitors
Few of us notice electricity on a daily basis, unless the lights go out or a bill lands on our door mat. Energy monitors are gadgets that aim to change that. Using a transmitter next to your meter and a wireless display somewhere else in your house, they bring your electricity use -- and accompanying carbon emissions -- into the sunshine.
As well as bringing down your carbon footprint, they could save you cash. Over a dozen studies have been written on the savings brought about by having your electricity use shoved in your face. Expect to shave between three and 15 per cent off your bill as a result of the changes an energy monitor brings to a household, like not over-filling the kettle. You could, of course, just make the changes to your lifestyle for free without buying a gadget. But if you're reading this, we're guessing you're after some motivation.
The four main monitors available today take different approaches. Most -- the Efergy Meter, OWL and Eco-eye Mini -- are utilitarian, affordable and aimed at getting the job done without frills. One, the Wattson, takes the luxury design and gadget lust route, aiming to seduce you through its beautiful looks, glowing lights and feature list.
One key thing to look for is the quality of the screen. The four here vary massively on that front, with the Wattson boasting the clearest display and the Efergy Meter sporting the worst.
Ease of use is an issue too. Wattson and Eco-eye Mini win hands-down there. The OWL and Efergy Meter both require constant reference to the manual when you're changing settings.
Then there's the issue of memory -- do you want to be able to track your electricity usage over time? If so, you can scratch the OWL from your shopping list now, as it's unable to tell you anything more than a real-time reading. The other three allow you to see how much electricity you've consumed in the past, though the Wattson requires a computer to do so.
Last but not least, there's the issue of PC connectivity. Do you want to offload your usage over time to a computer so you can pore over graphs of your emissions and cash burn? If that's your priority, the Wattson's the one for you, as it's the only one in this gang that'll allow you to offload data to your Mac or Windows PC.
DIY Kyoto Wattson 01
Eco-eye Mini
Efergy Meter
OWL
