If you are serious about saving money on your electric bills and doing your bit to help the environment then you need to get an electric monitor! There are lots of different ways to reduce your electric consumption but they are wasted if you have no way of seeing how much electric you are using and how much you are saving!
The Wattson
In my opinion, the best monitor you can buy is the Wattson by Kyoto. You can buy one in our Eco-store. They are easy to use and set up, and look great in your home. Although it is double the price of many other monitors available, it is worth every penny! The average user can save up to 25% off their energy bills every year. Which means that the Wattson pays for itself in just a couple of months! Plus all the other monitors are just ugly compared to this ultra-stylish piece of equipment. Just place the Wattson reciever in any room and it displays a running total of the energy you’re currently using, in big red glowing numbers. You can set it to show the total in watts or pounds sterling. It even tell the time. But that’s not all! The Wattson also works out your average consumption and tells you in real time weather you’re above or below that figure in funky ambient colours. The lights change from blue, when your consumption is low, to red, when its high.
Should I buy a Wattson?
If you want a super easy and visual way to save electric and money, then yes! The great thing about the Wattson is that you are always aware of how much electric you are currently using. Every time you sit in your living room or pass the doorway you will notice the lights. If they are glowing red you will feel compelled to start switching unnecessary appliances off. Its quite addictive and will get the whole family involved! I have three young children and they love it! Before I got the Wattson, all three children would be sat downstairs watching TV but I would go upstairs and find every bedroom alive with lights, play-stations, Xbox’s, and Tv’s. It was very hard to encourage them to switch things off when not in use. They have no concept of wasted energy or money at that age. Now though, things are very different! If any one of them spots the Wattson glowing red, they immediatly run around the house switching everything off. They go mental if I try to use the tumble dryer!
Will it help me save money in my fish room?
Yes, absolutely! When I first bought my Wattson I switched everything off in the house except for my fish tanks. I then had an idea of exactly how much it costs to run all my tanks. It was a lot more than I expected! It gave me a big incentive to think of ways to bring this cost down. I could then try different ways to make my hobby cheaper and see the instant reductions to my figures.
Another great feature of the Wattson is that you can connect it to your computer with a USB cable which is supplied. Then with the free software called ‘holmes’ you can view your daily, weekly or monthly energy usage. This is great if you have lots of fish tanks in an outside shed or garage as you can discover just how much your usage goes up and down depending on the weather. Heating your tanks, especially in an outside building, will usually be your biggest energy drain. By comparing the energy used to the outside temperature can be hugely helpful. For example, I noticed that on one particularly cold and windy night in January, the temperature outside was 6 degrees colder than the rest of the week. I compared that to my charts on the computer and noticed that my energy more than doubled on that night. So I searched my fish room and found a gap around the insulation where cold air was getting in. I filled it in and saved money instantly!
A couple of weeks later I decided to add a fan in my fish room to help circulate the warm air, but I wasn’t sure where to place it. So over the next few days, I tried it in different positions and monitored the changes with the Wattson. I was soon able to find the most cost effective place to put it! There are a lot of other ways to use your energy monitor to cut your fish keeping costs. I have gone into much more detail in the post, Using an Energy Monitor.
How do I set my Wattson up?
It could not be easier! A sensor simply clips around one of the 2 wires running between the electricity meter and the fuse box and can be installed safely, in seconds, with no need for any electrical knowledge or assistance. The display is wireless and handheld and can be placed anywhere in your home.
Can I use a different energy monitor?
Yes, of course you can! Any energy monitor will save you money if used correctly. I prefer the Wattson but feel free to use any monitor you are happy with. I love the Wattson because I don’t have to keep checking it. Its always there, glowing at me in the background, reminding me to switch things off! Its not just me who is raving about the Wattson. It has had great reviews in the press since it was released. It has appeared in issues of Wired Uk and Mens’s Health magazine. Just last year it was ranked as 33rd best product ever in Stuff magazine. Beating products such as the X Box 360, the Nintendo Game Boy, and the Nintendo DS Lite!
“Great concept in a gorgeous gadget – saving the planet has never been so cool” Stuff Magazine
If you want to buy a Wattson Energy Monitor or find out more information then please go to the Eco-store or click here!
