My British Gas freebies arrived yesterday (big thanks to Peter Parry
for the 'heads up' and offer code). It's the second thing Peter has
helped me with, the first being the author of an excellent website
that gave me the confidence to play with phone extensions years ago).
Has anyone else received theirs?
Anyway, I wouldn't have bought either of the products with my own
cash. I don't have a use for the IR receiver power strip (turning my
gear on and off at the wall is no hardship), but I tested that it
works. It's going to be someone's Xmas present!
The "Minim" electricity monitor has been a bit of fun. Came with 3
zinc-carbon C cells for the transmitter, imported from China. I think
it gets confused by power factors and it samples every two seconds, so
the washing machine motor turning the drum over a few times each way
has the readings all over the place. Haven't bothered with the
costings as it can't do split unit tariffs. Haven't bothered setting a
"target consumption" either. The examples in the instructions seemed
rather high, but maybe I have a simple house without lots of tat left
on standby. I'll keep using it for a month, see how accurate it is
compared with the meter, then the novelty might have worn off.

James