Turning off plugs -stopped turning on tv a lot more !!

iammumtoone

I have one but the batteries ran out and I never replaced them, this thread has reminded me I must do so. I never knew they weren't accurate but they still give you an idea of what you are using. When mine was working I would try to keep it under a level they are fun to watch (like the amount it shoots up when you turn the kettle on!).

I never keep my microwave turned on as I read it costs more to keep the clock running than it does in energy you use for cooking. Not sure if this is true but it certainly makes me turn it on and off at wall when I need to use it.

matelodave

They may not be everso accurate, but that's not the point - they give you information about what's being used and how much can be saved with minimal effort.

I've found that even our electric recliner chairs just being plugged in use 70mA each = about 35watts x 24 = 816watts/day x 365 = approx. 300kw a year at 12p/kw = approx. £36 not a lot but turning this sort of stuff off when not in use you should be able to save at least £100 year.

Even things like the washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher, cooker etc use several watts each, just by being plugged in. X-boxes, playstations etc use a lot more so there are plenty of opportunities to save money by disconnecting stuff when it's not being used.

It's been a struggle but I've even managed to get my wife to shut down her computer & peripherals overnight saving 65watts x 12 hours x 365 x 12p = another £34 saved.

I use my energy monitor to check that stuff is off before I go to bed, I don't use the TV to listen to the radio and all computers and other stuff is turned off at the wall or unplugged.

JamesMason_2

You are referring to in home displays.

But imagine a country where we all have smart meters which talk back to base and that data is represented to you online. There's plenty in the press to suggest this will be pushed through by the government, but also of course most suppliers do so already.

Engaging us all means we no longer have an excuse in not knowing how much we are using.

oldskoo1

I've always hated waste. I'm not an eco-warrier and i dont drive a prius and neither do i have solar panels, wind turbines etc...

I just dont like the idea of pointlessly wasting energy and money.

I began turning everything off at the plug about 8 years ago now. There is 2 adults, 2 kids in a 5 bed 3 story and we use 35p - 50p per day electricity in the summer and 50p - 75p in the winter with extra lights use and probably more TV as we spend a lot more time indoors.

We all use ipads and laptops which are low wattage. TV's are all LED, again low wattage. Only do 1 or 2 loads of washing per week, all our lights are GU10 LED's or low wattage bulbs.

I'm surprised myself at how cheap our electricity is. Especially considering i work from home most days. However my mackbook air uses about 11 watts and my monitor when i use it about 10 watts.

In comparison the people who we bought the house off use to spend £50 per month on electricity yet there was only 2 of them but all the bulbs were halogen 50w with 9 of them in the kitchen. All the other lights were old style bulbs and i assume they put everything in the tumble dryer (we use the line) and they did have a spare fridge freezer in the utility.

Thing is, some people will never change. My parents complain about their energy bills, i tell them simply turn the plug off when you are do, start from all off and it's an easy upkeep but they haven't changed.

GM11

matelodave wrote: »

They may not be everso accurate, but that's not the point - they give you information about what's being used and how much can be saved with minimal effort.

I've found that even our electric recliner chairs just being plugged in use 70mA each = about 35watts x 24 = 816watts/day x 365 = approx. 300kw a year at 12p/kw = approx. £36 not a lot but turning this sort of stuff off when not in use you should be able to save at least £100 year.

Even things like the washing machine, tumble dryer, dishwasher, cooker etc use several watts each, just by being plugged in. X-boxes, playstations etc use a lot more so there are plenty of opportunities to save money by disconnecting stuff when it's not being used.

It's been a struggle but I've even managed to get my wife to shut down her computer & peripherals overnight saving 65watts x 12 hours x 365 x 12p = another £34 saved.

I use my energy monitor to check that stuff is off before I go to bed, I don't use the TV to listen to the radio and all computers and other stuff is turned off at the wall or unplugged.

please dont think i am nit picking, however 70mA is not 35W it's 16.8W (ish) so around 403W day. (still worth saving of course )

incase anyone wonders about conversion to W Its simply Amps x Volts so in this instance 0.07 x 240 .
regards
Jason

ev70

matelodave was very far out with his current to power conversions.

Just to add to every ones problems the actual mains Voltage for the UK is 230V -6% + 10% at 50Hz (+/-1%). This mean the mains Voltage can be between 216V to 253V. This is one reason why those power monitor devices are not very accurate. The power monitors measure current on your incoming supply and then take a guess at the supply Voltage to give you the power being used.

So the power monitors may not be very accurate, but still very useful to find out where you are using the most power in your home.

Cardew

matelodave wrote: »

I've found that even our electric recliner chairs just being plugged in use 70mA each = about 35watts x 24 = 816watts/day x 365 = approx. 300kw a year at 12p/kw = approx. £36

= GM11
please dont think i am nit picking, however 70mA is not 35W it's 16.8W (ish) so around 403W day. (still worth saving of course)

in case anyone wonders about conversion to W Its simply Amps x Volts so in this instance 0.07 x 240 .

Both incorrect I am afraid.

There is no point in measuring current - especially when the monitors display Watts.

Amps x Volts give VA not Watts.

You need to understand Power Factor(PF)* to know why VA and Watts can be miles apart.

I have two reclining chairs so I have just checked them both.

They each use 90mA, but only 6 watts - however 24VA

Edit.
Left on overnight in 8 hours they used 0.05kWh.

The reason for this is the PF is 0.27.

You are of course only billed for watts.

In a AC circuit you would need the PF to be 1.0 for the simplistic volts x amps = Watts to be true(and it is for many resistive loads in a house)

On most(all?) of the cheap power monitors toggling the watts button display gives watts and then VA and toggling the frequency button gives PF. Only Watts is of any use if you are interested in cost.

* PF is a complex subject and best described as the ratio between 'Apparent' and 'Real' Power.

See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_factor

Cardew

ev70 wrote: »

Just to add to every ones problems the actual mains Voltage for the UK is 230V -6% + 10% at 50Hz (+/-1%). This mean the mains Voltage can be between 216V to 253V. This is one reason why those power monitor devices are not very accurate. The power monitors measure current on your incoming supply and then take a guess at the supply Voltage to give you the power being used.

So the power monitors may not be very accurate, but still very useful to find out where you are using the most power in your home.

That may be true of the monitors that measure the total consumption of the whole house - but these don't display current.

The power monitor that Matelodave used was a plug in monitor for measuring consumption of individual appliances.

These measure(and display) the voltage, current and(crucially in this instance) the Power Factor.