Showing posts with label electric meter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label electric meter. Show all posts

Monday, April 2, 2012

Black & Decker EM100B Energy Saver Series Power Monitor Review

Black and Decker EM100B Energy Saver Series Power Monitor
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
This product was pretty easy to install and setup. I live in a 3-unit condo in San francisco, and the signal transmitted fine from the garage to the master unit, probably 30-40 feet away and through a number of walls.
I'm already an efficiency nut and have replaced all the inefficient fixtures in my house with flourescents, and do a good job turning things off when not in use.
My main issues with this:
- It only measures in 100W increments, so you can't really track how much a compact fluorescent light or anything else small uses. You need to use a Kill-a-Watt or something like that
- The update interval is a bit slower than I would have liked
- There's no good way to get this data off the master unit and charted online
- It seems to be quite inaccurate around 300W. My nighttime usage it says fluctuates between 0 and 0.3 Kwh. I really want to figure out what my zombie devices are and I'm having a hard time figure out why there's always 300W of usage in my house. I unplugged the fridge so it's not that, and I'm using a Kill-a-watt to try and track down everything else
- It does let you figure out how much electricity the big things in your house use like the dishwasher, washing machine, heater, toaster, microwave, vacuum, TV, etc.
What I really want is something I can replace my electrical outlets with and have them communicate with a central server and track usage at each outlet.
For $100 this is a neat device, easy to install, and will find any really bad power usage that you have, but it left me wanting more.
Update: I decided to buy the TED Energy Detective as it's more accurate than this and I have access to my subpanel. That device isn't wireless and I wish it was, looks like there isn't a perfect product on the market yet

Click Here to see more reviews about: Black & Decker EM100B Energy Saver Series Power Monitor

Go green and save money on energy costs with the Black & Decker EM100B Energy Saver Series Power Monitor. This compact, easy-to-install device lets you track the amount of electricity that your household uses--and the costs of that usage--in real time. This monitor can help you reduce your energy consumption and decrease your monthly bills while helping the environment.
Simple Installation: No Wiring RequiredGetting started is as easy as mounting the sensor to your outdoor electric meter, aligning it, and synchronizing the sensor with the cordless monitor. Once this is done, you can track real-time usage from a convenient, indoor location. The results are immediately available and can help you to make smart energy-consumption choices. You'll quickly discover that doing the little things really does add up to big savings.

The monitor's easy-to-read digital display shows your current energy usage in dollars, so you don't have to perform tricky calculations to understand what the readings mean. It also shows you the outdoor temperature, so you can account for heat used on cold mornings, and it displays your month-to-date usage along with an estimate for your upcoming bill. This advanced feature can work with any type of billing rate, including flat rate billing, separate peak and off-peak rates, or tiered billing structures.

Track Little Changes that Become Big SavingsA convenient appliance mode feature allows you to track minute-to-minute changes in electric consumption as major appliances are turned on and off, so you can see where your money is going. This makes it easy for you to decide, for instance, which electrical appliances and accessories are really worth their cost, and which of your older appliances are costing you more money than they're worth. You can also quickly tell how much you save by switching to compact florescent light bulbs or instituting other conservation measures in your home.

Once you have the Energy Saver Series Power Monitor set up, you'll be surprised how quickly the everyday choices you make in your electrical consumption add up. In fact, lifestyle changes based on the information your family gets from this monitor can save you up to 20 percent a month on your electric bills.

Enjoy Durability and Widespread CompatibilityThe weatherproof sensor at the heart of this system is designed to handle tough winters, humid summers, and everything in between, so you can rely on it for year-round accurate performance.

This power monitor is designed to work with 90 percent of current electricity meters, including those with visible rotating wheels, those with single optical ports, and some models with dual optical ports.

What's in the BoxCordless monitor station, weatherproof sensor, one shim, and one alignment guide.


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Saturday, January 7, 2012

P3 International P4460 Kill A Watt EZ Electricity Usage Monitor Review

P3 International P4460 Kill A Watt EZ Electricity Usage Monitor
Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)
I was amazed at some of the things I found around the house that draw power just sitting there doing nothing. This thing is easy to figure out and program in your cost per Kwh.
A couple of things I found by using this device:
-- the entertainment center costs me $11 a year to have just sit there in standby mode. This is a 32" LCD TV, surroundsound system, DVD player, Wii, and subwoofer all plugged into a Monster HTS 1000 MKIII PowerCenter with Clean Power Stage 2 (8 AC outlet, 2 coax, phone & network). If I watch a DVD or play the Wii, it costs me 40 cents a day, or about 3.33 cents an hour.
-- My gaming computer (Dual Core, 500 watt power supply and 19" LCD) cost me $99 a year to run 24 hours a day, 6 days a week. That includes the occasional laser printing and occasional 2.1 speaker usage. So I turn it off more often.
-- Cell phone charger: .86 cents a year, but when charging it costs me $1.73 a year.
-- New coffee pot costs me between 5-7 cents to brew a pot of coffee and let it sit for a couple hours.
-- Toaster at 350-degrees costs me about 11 cents an hour.
-- Dell laptop charger costs me about $1.70 a year to keep it plugged in. It's about a penny and hour to charge the laptop's battery.
-- NOAA handheld weather radio costs 86 cents a year to run 24/7
In the end, it seems like it is only really worth the trouble to unplug the entertainment center when not in use and turn off the computer more often. Sure, everything draws power, but we factored in the hassle of it versus the cost.
We have been unplugging stuff around the house when we are not using it, and began to wonder how much we are saving. This thing has helped out in deciding what's worth going through the hassle of unplugging each time, and the results are almost instantaneous. I highly recommend using this device to settle the score in the fight against wasted energy usage or even in helping decide which devices/appliances around your house aren't worth owning due to ridiculous power draws.
I'm still testing more items around the house, so check back later for updates.

Click Here to see more reviews about: P3 International P4460 Kill A Watt EZ Electricity Usage Monitor

Now you can cut your energy costs and find out what appliances are actually worth keeping plugged in. Simply connect these appliances to the Kill A Watt EZ, and it will assess how efficient they really are. Large LCD display will count consumption by the Kilowatt-hour, same as your local utility. Calculate your cumulative electrical expenses and forecast bythe day, week, month, even an entire year. Also check the quality of your power by monitoring Voltage, Line Frequency, and Power Factor. Now you'll know if it is time for a new refrigerator or if that old air conditioner is still saving you money. With the amazing Kill A Watt EZ you'll know "Watts" killing you.

Buy NowGet 63% OFF

Click here for more information about P3 International P4460 Kill A Watt EZ Electricity Usage Monitor

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