OWL Wireless Energy Monitor - your findings?

Valli

OWL monitors

These are available free of charge from Derbyshire Libraries (for members) for a 6 week period.

Sadly they are proving rather popular and I am on the list...

sorry if this has already been posted!

KimYeovil

Magnolia wrote: »

The meter reading for last week was 61488

This weeks reading was 61589

This shows usage of 101 kwh - the owl showed 98 kwh slight inaccuracy but close enough for government work

I read them as 61489 and 61579?

dogder

do you round up or down?

KimYeovil

It's not so much rounding (though they have been rounded down - from 61489.05 and 61579.6). It's more looking at the next smaller digit's dial to determine whether a dial is pointing before or after the number it is pointing to.

On the second meter, the 10s dial is pointing to the 8. The units dial is moving from 9 to 0 at about 9.6. Thus the 10s dial is still 7 and just about to clock to 8. If it was already at 8, the 9.6 is still 9.6 so the 10s dial would be pointing just before the 9 at 89.6.

(I think. It looked clearer the first time I looked at it. The more I stare, the more unsure I get.)

Magnolia

I had problems working out what it should or shouldn't be so used this site to help

http://www.edfenergy.com/products-services/for-your-home/my-account/how-to-read-your-electricity-meter.shtml

bobbiegrahame

Help! i got my owl in February because i am convinced that my meter is giving the wrong reading. Followed instructions to clip sensor on to the live or red cable going in or out of the meter. On cable going out of meter i get the same reading as the meter.
On cable going in i get a reading approx 18 units less! My average according to Scottish energy is 37 units a day. (my reason for getting one) On the meter next door i get the same reading as the meter on both cables. I have been checking the meter and the monitor for three weeks with no change. I tried a plug in unit to check single items, and if i turned everything on, it would only add up to about 12 units a day on the meter.
Scottish insist there is nothing wrong with the meter, Has anybody had the same problem?

dopester

bobbiegrahame wrote: »

I tried a plug in unit to check single items, and if i turned everything on, it would only add up to about 12 units a day on the meter.
Scottish insist there is nothing wrong with the meter, Has anybody had the same problem?

I'm not sure I fully understand that.

What I can admit to is having mistakenly fitted the OWL's sensor-clamp the wrong cable to the electricity meter box, for the first week I had it - and so was getting a lower reading.

My error should have been obvious...

dopester wrote: »

Then.. if I say switch the kettle on... the OWL monitor display jumps from 0.225 KW to a whopping 1.625 KW as it boils. Finished... back to 0.225 KW.

Looking at the base of the kettle it says "Wattage: 3000W"

Now I've got the OWL's clamp-sensor on the correct cable, our basic tick-over rate seems to be around 0.5Kwh on the OWL, and when flick the kettle on, the OWL display jumps to 3.5Kwh as the kettle boils.. which makes perfect sense.

Still using way too much energy than I'd like, but the OWL is very handy... can glance at it and tell when something is wrong... especially if I'm home by myself and find the OWL meter displaying a Kwh rate much higher than normal. Have often found an electric heater left on accidentally, in a room I wouldn't otherwise go in, consuming lots of power.. and can go switch it off.

beazee

Installed OWL meter yesterday afternoon. Moved to the new rented apartment recently, had no time to check where's the biggest power-eater.

Changed all halogen track lights to LED lights. I am fairly happy with the day consumption.

Before getting asleep my total was 5 KWh, in the morning 32 KWh was on the display already.

Storage heaters or immersion heater are the problems.
Good the weekend is coming. Have to measure it properly.

Philips 12W CFL light shows as 16W
3W LED shows as 10W.
Is it normal?

No problems with reading regular 50W bulbs.

supersaver09

Just a quick update on using my Owl Monitor.
My previous electric bill (Oct-mid Dec) was £161. I used to leave lights on, TV's & Dvd players plugged in, standbys were always on etc. Then i saw this thread and purchased an Owl wireless Monitor.
I started using it in January & my latest quarterly bill (Dec-March - which is usually my most expensive quarter) has been cut in half (£78!) due to using it. And that's not even with the energy price cuts!

Best 25 quid i've spent in ages. Thanks again OP for introducing me to this brilliant device!

annettetabs

I brought my Owl CM119 off Ebay for £25.99 brand new. It arrived this morning, i'm hooked already!! I've only had it on for about 4 hours and already i can hear myself saying to hubby and the kids 'look what happens when i turn on the Kitchen light - will be changing that light in the near future'. Whos left something switched on upstairs and so on. Great device and look forward to seeing what it says in the morning when we have been on off peak tariff for the night. Just one question should i change the voltage setting from 230 to 240? How do i know if i need to change it?