Andy Wade wrote:
Set Square wrote:

Power factors of less than unity apply to reactive loads - like some type of
electric motors. [It's actually the cosine of the phase angle when volts and
amps are not directly in phase with each other].

The more general definition of PF is true_mean_power / apparent_power,
the latter term meaning the product of the RMS voltage and RMS current.
Your meter or monitor instrument (& the Maplin one seems to be the
best) will display true power as W (or kW) and apparent power as VA (or
kVA). PF = W / VA. (The electricity company's meter reads kWh, so you
don't pay for the apparent energy you're not actually using - large
users excepted).

The maplin one I have misreads in a similar way to the Lidl ones.
Indeed, I bought the Lidl one in the hopes that it'd be more accurate
than the maplin one.