myzeneye Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 oh my goodness ... just swiped one of these off a spark in work today... owl - home electricity monitor took seconds to install....but a bit longer to programme all out elec tarriffs etc into it..... turned it on an was having a play around ....it gives you a real time costage for your use... the t.v uses loads of elec ! the halogen lights use even more and when i compared them with the l.e.d bulbs in the same fittings they hardly registered on the meter.... im off to buy led bulbs for all the halogens in the morning !!! not being a tight wad, i got the unit for free so i give it a go for curiosity, when i looked at the power consumption of our appliances and the way we use them... well i think ill be doing things differently from now on....id reccomend you get one just to see for your self ... now turn them bloody lights off... its like blackpool illuminations in ere !!!! hahaha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazza Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 i have tryed a few different led lamps but they where all rubbish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 i have tryed a few different led lamps but they where all rubbish. I have used brighter matches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 i have tryed a few different led lamps but they where all rubbish. yep! made a display cabinet for my father and had to use halogens as the light from the led's didn't penetrate the 2nd glass shelf, useless they were! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myzeneye Posted January 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 i got 2w ones first and they were poo... then i got 7w ones and they pretty much the same as the 50w gu10's i had.... theyre about 7 quid each though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8landy Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 I have one of them, both because I am a tight wad and I like gadgets It drives the OH mad when I tell her how much her hair dryer uses. Strange thing is how much energy this owl thing uses! Batterys do not last very long in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agusta Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 (edited) I got one free with British Gas Was good for a few days, now lost interest and dont pay attention to it now Edited January 13, 2010 by agusta Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RC45 Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 my kids like to leave all the lights on Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shot shot Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 surprisingly it's my dad that's the worst offender in this house. In fairness, all the bulbs in the commonly used rooms are fluorescent, but I guess it all adds up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malkiserow Posted January 13, 2010 Report Share Posted January 13, 2010 Does it give you the cost per hour of running each device? I use "Bye Bye Standby" units and love them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSPUK Posted January 14, 2010 Report Share Posted January 14, 2010 had this bungalow since may and moved in in August -our first elec bill was £60 but half time from May to end of August we were doing it up - Next bill which included Induction hob and electric oven - new LCD TV was £80 -I turn off TV -AV amp- DVD but leave freeview box on - got low energy lights in a lot of rooms but I think biggest saving is spots in kitchen - sparky recommended 8 low energy spots - they look like they have six minature flourescent tubes in - take a minute or so to warm up but light is as good as 50w spots and isn't glaring. We are all electric and oil heating Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nial Posted January 14, 2010 Report Share Posted January 14, 2010 Could you have a look at your tumble drier (sp?) and report back? The wife dries most of our towels in there as 'it makes them softer', even though the 'leccy meter startes flashing like mad when it's on (as I keep pointing out). Nial Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave-G Posted January 14, 2010 Report Share Posted January 14, 2010 (edited) So is that avatar an R44 or an agusta, agusta? All flourescents here - except the cooker hood that she likes to leave on because it's only a small light... I keep telling her it now uses more than the "big light" Edited January 14, 2010 by Dave-G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agusta Posted January 14, 2010 Report Share Posted January 14, 2010 So is that avatar an R44 or an agusta, agusta? Its a Robinson R44 Raven II and its for sale if you want to make an offer only flown 420 hours out of 2200 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJN Posted January 14, 2010 Report Share Posted January 14, 2010 many moons ago when I was fist married, we had a slot meter, you soon found out what used up the money fastest, I've never turned on another 3kw electric fire again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Fudd Posted January 14, 2010 Report Share Posted January 14, 2010 Its a Robinson R44 Raven II and its for sale if you want to make an offer only flown 420 hours out of 2200 £20 and a bottle of vodka, my final offer so how much does one of these elctric tester thingys cost? didnt see in the link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casts_by_fly Posted January 14, 2010 Report Share Posted January 14, 2010 I've been using one as part of a trial at work. We have the Wattson device. Retail is about £80 for one. I love having it. I know that the house is drawing about 140W at night with everything turned off. That is the total of all of the standby devices, chargers, fridge and winefridge. We've had it up over 10kW when we've had both ovens on plus a tumble dryer or a dishwasher. I know what most of my light switches and appliances draw in power now. For instance, my microwave is rated at 800W, but it actually draws 1200 on the meter. That means it is only 2/3 efficient in putting power to my food. Halogen bulbs in the kitchen are bad. Two switches draw 350W. Most of the incandescent bulbs in the house are either 60 or 100W and are pretty accurate. The dishwasher, washign machine, and tumble dryer are all around 2000-2500W when they are in heating mode and 200-300 when they are just cycling through. Thanks, Rick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myzeneye Posted January 14, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2010 Could you have a look at your tumble drier (sp?) and report back? The wife dries most of our towels in there as 'it makes them softer', even though the 'leccy meter startes flashing like mad when it's on (as I keep pointing out). Nial will have o look mate when i get a mo... my guess is the wheel in your meter will be spinning like the cutting disc of an angle grinder !!! 3kw kettle forget it.... hair dryer she can get a skin head like me.... tumble drier....i dread to think...... £20 and a bottle of vodka, my final offer so how much does one of these elctric tester thingys cost? didnt see in the link babby, i think there around 30 quid.....but you can get them free if you scratch around... bottom line is, you still will use the appliances you normally do, but i think you end up a little more conscious of your use... bedroom lights being left on...t.v being left on etc etc the device needs to be set up by you. you enter the cost of your tarrif and the time it runs from, then the cost of your 2nd lower rate tarrif and its times etc etc... it can then calculate different results... it will tell you your actual real time usage of what your using now, in pence.... how much youve used this week this month this year etc etc... it will also tell you your carbon output, temp etc etc... if you like gadgets, you love having a fiddle with it... as i said, i could see in monetary value the differance between using different lights in the living room... the led bulbs save you a fortune, the halogen spots gobble the cash right up... so a swap is in order there i think....the toaster uses more then the grill on the oven... and the kettle...well... i have a le cruset pot kettle ill be using a whole lot more i think.... the cost of running the house at night when everythings is turned off, gadgets are on standby and fridge and freezers, house alarm etc are on is around 2.3pence an hour...which is great if a cat walks past and the 500w halogen security lights come on...well...the meter shoots right up to around 12p an hour ! i know it doesnt seem like much but this thing really does illustrate which items in your house consume more... when its time for there replacment i will be seriously looking at energy efficiency .... 'AROLD !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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