"I love my Energy Monitor – do you have one?" blog discussion

inicholson

Spiggle wrote: »

It has hugely helped to alter my behaviour I have to admit. I (used to) enjoy a really long shower. But seeing that the shower pushes the cost up by such a horrendous amount - to about 95p per hour compared to about 43p per hour for the kettle boiling - I have dramatically cut back on the time I stay in the shower.

But as yet nothing in our house uses more than the shower.

Anyone who knows about these things, should I invest in a new shower? I would probably go for a higher KwH one as I thnk ours is about 7.5 but it is getting on a bit. Probably at least ten years old now. Would a higher KwH be balanced by a more efficient (younger and technically) new shower?

Spigs

The power rating of the shower (in kW) directly effacts how much energy you are using: a 10kW shower will use one unit of electricity (1 kW hour) in 6 minutes, a 5kW shower would take twice as long to use a single unit. However, a less powerfull shower will produce a lower volume of hot water (or if you leave the flow rate the same a much colder shower!). Changing an older shower for a new one will make no difference to your electricity usage (if it's more efficient and has the same rating in kW it will produce more/hotter water so a better shower, but no money saving). Changing an old 7.5kW shower for a newer one with a higher rating will increase your electricity usage.

If your current 7.5kW shower uses about twice as much energy as your kettle then a more powerful 10.5kW (or thereabouts) shower will use 3 times as much energy as the kettle!

The only ways to use less electricity in the shower are:

1. replace your electric shower with hot water heated by gas (but be wary of power showers which are wonderful but use an enormous amount of water so can be costly).

2. shower less often (drink tea instead - it's cheaper!).

3. take shorter showers

4. share showers!

buglawton

Old shower used to use about 8L per min, new snazzy Aqualisa one with super duper electronic controls uses 13L minimum - the total adjustment from top to bottom flow settings is about 15%. Aqualisa refused to state what the flow rates should be - working as designed! If there is ever a firmware update for the controller, to reduce the flow I'd be glad. Imagine having a large family and one of these showers!

Irratus_Rusticus

I've been using the OWL monitor for a year. Cool thing is it works from inside a metal meter cupboard through outer walls etc. Easy enough to clip the sender to the meter phase cable (tho' Argos at first had told me I had to buy multiple clips to put around each appliance---I knew that was nonsense!).

It's been said before here ... these clip-on monitors aren't billing meter-accurate, but the tolerance is good enough for keeping an eye on your running costs. I've found the variation to be +/- 5% so I allow for that. My CM119 (shown on MSE) keeps a full history on daily, monthly, quarterly and annual basis. More than you ever need to know.

Only critism is that the OWL can't cope with tiered tariffs, but I don't use the price gizmo, just the kWhs readings. Batteries are still running in the sender after a year!

Not a smart meter but a great little gadget. Cost me £40 a year ago. Still wurfit.

As for more energy efficient gadgets. Methinks you'd have to need a new appliance to justify the outlay versus any savings on consumption. A new fridge/freezer etc would need many years using less kWhs to recoup the outlay. If it isn't broke...