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Thread: Devices for measuring electricity consumption

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    Junior Member Phildo's Avatar
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    Default Devices for measuring electricity consumption

    Got a power bill the other day - $700 for two months. Ouch. Huge ouch. Just a leeeeeeedle bit miffed.

    Details: one person house. Very little use of a heater for the last two months. Got a couple of Macs in a room, idling 24/7 (including a 2009 Mac Pro). Nothing else really that I can see could be using so much power. A tad dumbfounded about the power bill.

    Went looking for devices that can narrow down what is using up all the electricity.

    Found:

    Belkin Conserve Insight - about $50 each



    Mains Power Meter - about $20 each



    Then there's the Clipsal Cent-A-Metre, but I want to narrow down which room is using up all the power, and then what particular gadget(s) in that room are costing me a fortune.

    Anyone used any of these gadgets? Feedback? Why is the Belkin one two and a half times the price of the Jaycar one? Why aren't these things more common?

    Has anyone used any of these, or something else, to identify what was costing too much to run, and subsequently gotten their power bill a lot lower?



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    Thats a big bill for a 1 person house !

    Any new items since the previous bill ??

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    Junior Member Phildo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sanity View Post
    Thats a big bill for a 1 person house !

    Any new items since the previous bill ??
    Huge bill for just one person. I can't figure it out. Nothing has changed - I've hardly used the heater in the bedroom. Changed from a 2006 Mac Pro to a 2008 model, and then a 2009. Going to be rather miffed if it turns out that the Mac Pro is the culprit - the 2009 Mac Pro is one hell of a fast Mac.

    I'll buy a couple of either the Belkin or Jaycar gadgets and put then on each powerpoint for the bedroom and office. Once I can see what each room is using, then I can start using them on each device and hopefully narrow it down.

    If I didn't know any better, I'd be thinking that someone is tapping into my electricity supply. Will have to talk to Synery (power company) again. I've rung and expressed doubt before about the power bills but been fobbed off with complete disinterest each time.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Phildo View Post
    Huge bill for just one person. I can't figure it out. Nothing has changed - I've hardly used the heater in the bedroom. Changed from a 2006 Mac Pro to a 2008 model, and then a 2009. Going to be rather miffed if it turns out that the Mac Pro is the culprit - the 2009 Mac Pro is one hell of a fast Mac.

    I'll buy a couple of either the Belkin or Jaycar gadgets and put then on each powerpoint for the bedroom and office. Once I can see what each room is using, then I can start using them on each device and hopefully narrow it down.

    If I didn't know any better, I'd be thinking that someone is tapping into my electricity supply. Will have to talk to Synery (power company) again. I've rung and expressed doubt before about the power bills but been fobbed off with complete disinterest each time.
    ring up and really give them a mouthfull because thats more than I pay for a house with 2 adults and 4 kids? (all have pcs on 24/7 ,3 large plasmas, umteen sat boxes etc. double check the meter reading against the bill. but theres something wrong for sure. last year i found out they were charging me above the normal unit rate and after a yelling match and a talk with ombudsman they owed me $2800 (my average bill then was $500-600) now its less than $400.maybe thats whats happened to you.

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    You need to read your meter and note it and then check it in about a month and again a month later and see whats going on.
    How many gadjets do you have that are on 'Standbye' because they are all using power continuosly, Fridges and Freezers are another and the big daddy of the lot is the HWS.
    I also found my meter had been misread low one Quarter and picked up the next BUT the amount they brought up to date cost me more because they charge one rate under 1200 units and a higher rate over 1200 units and thats where I ended up.
    I wasnt checking the meter back then so couldnt prove it had happened.
    I had used the power, that I never disputed, but the way it was read was the problem so now I check myself.
    I stand unequivicably behind everything I say , I just dont ever remember saying it !!

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