[Des]

Hello

Is it possible to buy a device that I can fit myself which will give me a
clear indication of my current rate of electricity consumption. . Ideally
I'd like a portable device which can show pence/hour, cumulative cost etc
and maybe even predict/calculate my electricity bill.

Yes, I know I have a meter, but that's in the garage and doesn't really give
me all the info I'd like. I did google around a bit but couldn't really find
what I was looking for. I'm sure I've seen these devices on the telly.

Many Thanks for any pointers.

Des

[F]

On 22/04/2007 12:35 Des wrote:

I'm sure I've seen these devices on the telly.

Yes, a couple of weeks ago. IIRC, they said the electricity companies
would be compelled to provide them FOC in the (fairly) near future.

--
Frank
(Beware of spam trap - remove the negative)

[Roger Mills]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Des wrote:

Hello

Is it possible to buy a device that I can fit myself which will give
me a clear indication of my current rate of electricity consumption.
. Ideally I'd like a portable device which can show pence/hour,
cumulative cost etc and maybe even predict/calculate my electricity
bill.
Yes, I know I have a meter, but that's in the garage and doesn't
really give me all the info I'd like. I did google around a bit but
couldn't really find what I was looking for. I'm sure I've seen these
devices on the telly.
Many Thanks for any pointers.

Des

There are plenty of plug-in devices (such as those sold by Maplins) which
will monitor the energy consumed by whatever is plugged into a single 13A
socket, including calculating the cost - but it sounds as if you want to to
it for the whole house.

There are ammeters which will clamp round a cable, and display the current
passing through the cable - by some inductive means which doesn't require an
electrical connection to be made - but I don't know whether any of those
will integrate the measurement over a period of time in order to calculate
amp-hours (or watt-hours if they also take voltage into account) - let alone
calculate your electricty bill.
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

[Lurch]

On Sun, 22 Apr 2007 15:09:29 +0100, "Roger Mills"
mused:

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Des wrote:

Hello

Is it possible to buy a device that I can fit myself which will give
me a clear indication of my current rate of electricity consumption.
. Ideally I'd like a portable device which can show pence/hour,
cumulative cost etc and maybe even predict/calculate my electricity
bill.
Yes, I know I have a meter, but that's in the garage and doesn't
really give me all the info I'd like. I did google around a bit but
couldn't really find what I was looking for. I'm sure I've seen these
devices on the telly.
Many Thanks for any pointers.

Des

There are plenty of plug-in devices (such as those sold by Maplins) which
will monitor the energy consumed by whatever is plugged into a single 13A
socket, including calculating the cost - but it sounds as if you want to to
it for the whole house.

There are ammeters which will clamp round a cable, and display the current
passing through the cable - by some inductive means which doesn't require an
electrical connection to be made -

These need to be clamped round a phase conductor _only_ so would mean
stripping bits of insulation of all your flexible cables! (Not
recomended btw).

but I don't know whether any of those
will integrate the measurement over a period of time in order to calculate
amp-hours (or watt-hours if they also take voltage into account) - let alone
calculate your electricty bill.

They can, if you go for one of the more expensive OTT for domestic
measurement ones.
--
Regards,
Stuart.

[Jb]

Strip back insulation to use a clamp meter!! CRAP!!!


"Lurch" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 22 Apr 2007 15:09:29 +0100, "Roger Mills"
mused:

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Des wrote:

Hello

Is it possible to buy a device that I can fit myself which will give
me a clear indication of my current rate of electricity consumption.
. Ideally I'd like a portable device which can show pence/hour,
cumulative cost etc and maybe even predict/calculate my electricity
bill.
Yes, I know I have a meter, but that's in the garage and doesn't
really give me all the info I'd like. I did google around a bit but
couldn't really find what I was looking for. I'm sure I've seen these
devices on the telly.
Many Thanks for any pointers.

Des

There are plenty of plug-in devices (such as those sold by Maplins) which
will monitor the energy consumed by whatever is plugged into a single 13A
socket, including calculating the cost - but it sounds as if you want to
to
it for the whole house.

There are ammeters which will clamp round a cable, and display the current
passing through the cable - by some inductive means which doesn't require
an
electrical connection to be made -

These need to be clamped round a phase conductor _only_ so would mean
stripping bits of insulation of all your flexible cables! (Not
recomended btw).

but I don't know whether any of those
will integrate the measurement over a period of time in order to calculate
amp-hours (or watt-hours if they also take voltage into account) - let
alone
calculate your electricty bill.

They can, if you go for one of the more expensive OTT for domestic
measurement ones.
--
Regards,
Stuart.

[Andy Wade]

Jb wrote:
Strip back insulation to use a clamp meter!! CRAP!!!

Lurch was talking about using one on a multi-core cable, where you'd
need to remove the _sheath_ to separate the cores. For whole-house
monitoring (single-phase) you can clamp round either of the meter tails,
without removing anything.

--
Andy

[Kevin]

Is it possible to buy a device that I can fit myself which will give me a
clear indication of my current rate of electricity consumption. . Ideally
I'd like a portable device which can show pence/hour, cumulative cost etc
and maybe even predict/calculate my electricity bill.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/broadband/media...30407_segment2
covered different devices.

Kevin

[Lurch]

On Sun, 22 Apr 2007 16:16:26 +0100, Andy Wade
mused:

Jb wrote:
Strip back insulation to use a clamp meter!! CRAP!!!

Lurch was talking about using one on a multi-core cable, where you'd
need to remove the _sheath_ to separate the cores. For whole-house
monitoring (single-phase) you can clamp round either of the meter tails,
without removing anything.

Thankyou, that was clearly the only conclusion a sane person could
draw from the statement.

Top posting ****wits would do well to not bother posting.
--
Regards,
Stuart.

[Alan]

"Des" wrote in message
...
Hello

Is it possible to buy a device that I can fit myself which will give me a
clear indication of my current rate of electricity consumption. . Ideally
I'd like a portable device which can show pence/hour, cumulative cost etc
and maybe even predict/calculate my electricity bill.

Yes, I know I have a meter, but that's in the garage and doesn't really
give me all the info I'd like. I did google around a bit but couldn't
really find what I was looking for. I'm sure I've seen these devices on
the telly.

Many Thanks for any pointers.

Des


If you've been watching "Its not easy being green" recently they were using
a device just as you describe - with a wireless display unit so you can
monitor the useage from anywhere within the house.
I'm not sure what make it was though.

Alan.

[Des]

"Des" wrote in message
...
Hello

Is it possible to buy a device that I can fit myself which will give me a
clear indication of my current rate of electricity consumption. . Ideally
I'd like a portable device which can show pence/hour, cumulative cost etc
and maybe even predict/calculate my electricity bill.

Yes, I know I have a meter, but that's in the garage and doesn't really
give me all the info I'd like. I did google around a bit but couldn't
really find what I was looking for. I'm sure I've seen these devices on
the telly.

Many Thanks for any pointers.


Thanks for the useful replies - especially Kevin.

Looks like the "electrisave" www.electrisave.co.uk comes closest to what I
want.
Only downside is the cost - about £62 from amazon.

Thanks again
Des

[Nige Danton]

On Apr 23, 6:21 am, "Des" wrote:

Is it possible to buy a device that I can fit myself which will give me a
clear indication of my current rate of electricity consumption. . Ideally
I'd like a portable device which can show pence/hour, cumulative cost etc
and maybe even predict/calculate my electricity bill.

I saw a programme on BBC World last night that featured one such
device. Looked quite good and anything that raises awareness surely
cannot be a bad thing.

--
Nige Danton

[Roger Mills]

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Des wrote:

"Des" wrote in message
...
Hello

Is it possible to buy a device that I can fit myself which will give
me a clear indication of my current rate of electricity consumption.
. Ideally I'd like a portable device which can show pence/hour,
cumulative cost etc and maybe even predict/calculate my electricity
bill. Yes, I know I have a meter, but that's in the garage and doesn't
really give me all the info I'd like. I did google around a bit but
couldn't really find what I was looking for. I'm sure I've seen
these devices on the telly.

Many Thanks for any pointers.


Thanks for the useful replies - especially Kevin.

Looks like the "electrisave" www.electrisave.co.uk comes closest to
what I want.
Only downside is the cost - about £62 from amazon.

Thanks again
Des

It does *part* of what you were asking for. It shows you at what *rate* you
are currently consuming electricity - but it doesn't accummulate this over a
period to measure kWHrs consumed in (say) a 24 hour period.
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

[Piers James]

Electrisave: http://www.letsautomate.com/12428.cfm



"Des" wrote in message
...
Hello

Is it possible to buy a device that I can fit myself which will give me a
clear indication of my current rate of electricity consumption. . Ideally
I'd like a portable device which can show pence/hour, cumulative cost etc
and maybe even predict/calculate my electricity bill.

Yes, I know I have a meter, but that's in the garage and doesn't really
give me all the info I'd like. I did google around a bit but couldn't
really find what I was looking for. I'm sure I've seen these devices on
the telly.

Many Thanks for any pointers.

Des

[Mark]

Des wrote in message
...

"Des" wrote in message
...
Hello

Is it possible to buy a device that I can fit myself which will give me
a
clear indication of my current rate of electricity consumption. .
Ideally
I'd like a portable device which can show pence/hour, cumulative cost
etc
and maybe even predict/calculate my electricity bill.

Yes, I know I have a meter, but that's in the garage and doesn't really
give me all the info I'd like. I did google around a bit but couldn't
really find what I was looking for. I'm sure I've seen these devices on
the telly.

Many Thanks for any pointers.


Thanks for the useful replies - especially Kevin.

Looks like the "electrisave" www.electrisave.co.uk comes closest to what
I
want.
Only downside is the cost - about £62 from amazon.

Thanks again
Des



They will be Freeeeeeeee next year
http://www.virginmedia.com/digital/n...p?storyid=6867
577