Power Mad

In Tesco yesterday I nearly bought one of these power monitor type things.  You strap a little sensor to your mains supply and a receiver box in the house gives you a second by second readout of how much your electricity is costing you. I was tempted, but in the end I didn’t invest. Not because I don’t think it is a good idea, but that I think in wrong hands (i.e. mine) such a thing would prove highly dangerous.

I know that as soon as I started getting live data from the device I’d turn into a power crazed madman, searching for hidden mains adapters and wincing whenever the kettle was turned on. I’d become obsessed with getting the thing to read zero pence at all times (which I know is impossible) and lie awake at night trying to work out where that thing which is costing me ten pence a day actually lurks.  I’d probably end up stressing about how much power the monitor itself consumes, and set up a treadmill somewhere which is attached to a generator.

I strongly agree with energy conservation, (that’s how come my loft is always so cold) and I’ve got loads of energy saving lamps all over the place.  Although (and I wonder if I’m the first person to notice this) when you turn on one of these fancy expensive bulbs they actually seem to make the room darker. I think this is because when they first come on the starter circuit gives a brief flash of bright light. This is then replaced by the dim glow produced by the tube itself which, if you are lucky and the bulb is less than a few months old, will eventually become bright enough to read by.

Anyhoo, in the light of all these things I’ve decided to give the energy monitor a miss for now. Perhaps in summer…

Comments

[Chris Davies]

The thought of obsessional checking made me laugh, because it reminds me of stories I've been told about my granddad. He didn't have a power monitor, but he would sit staring at the rotating wheel in their electricity meter shouting at my grandma and their kids to keep searching for whatever was still making it turn. Only when it was completely still would he let them all go to bed.

[Rob]

He sounds like a man after my own heart. Perhaps I could put a webcam in the garage and get a picture of the little wheel on the PC downstairs......

[Chris Davies]

But wouldn't that be just like the old fridge dilemma - if you turn the PC off to save power, does the wheel stop turning? Only way to find out is boot it back up and check the webcam, but then that will start the wheel spinning again.

It could drive you mad... :)