Energy Management Tools

PM230 Power Watt Meter, Digital Seven Day Timer & Motion Sensor PIR Light Switch

We are leading UK stockists of power meters (watt meters) for the home as well as suppliers of timers, twilight lighting controls, light sensors and daylight harvesting controllers for both the home and office.

As the cost of energy continues to rise then so too does the effort to find new ways in which to monitor, control and save energy usage. Energy Optimizers direct are actively involved in developing and finding new products and technologies that are of direct benefit to both the home and the office.

There are many ways in which energy saving ideas can be enabled ranging from simple ON/OFF switches to demand/supply sensor activated controls. Matching the supply to the load is a highly effective way of saving energy and can be easily achieved with controllers connected to sensors to detect either heat, light or movement.

Power Meters

Examples of the available technologies that will have a positive impact on demand management are real-time meters, which allow users to know the price and environmental impact of the electricity they are using; intelligent appliances and equipment, which allow energy savings to be maximised; and buildings designed to minimise energy use and maximise the wellbeing of the occupants.

The Carbon Trust in the UK helps business and the public sector cut carbon emissions, and supports the development of low carbon technologies. Carbon Trust experience indicates that Advanced Metering, if properly used as a demand management tool, reduces energy consumption (and costs) by between 10% and 15%. One of the cornerstones of Energy Optimizers direct’s product range is the Power Watt Meter, a home energy meter designed to test the consumption and cost of plug-in domestic appliances. Armed with a Power Watt Meter, householders can first, assess the areas of heaviest use and cost and then second, can take steps to reduce the energy load by either curtailing demand e.g. Immersion Heater Timers or using the specific appliances more efficiently e.g. PIR activated light switches for hallways and landings

Data Logging using an Excel® spreadsheet

To assist with evaluating your household energy consumption we have put together a workbook example, which is available as a free download from this site. If you have installed on your PC either Microsoft Excel '97 or a more recent version of the spreadsheet then our data entry forms contained in the worksheets will enable you to log your energy data and produce informative graphs automatically for each of your home appliances.

A number of examples are provided in the package and you can change the name of the appliances in the spreadsheet and on the tabs to suit your own preferences.

The workbook has been set initially to provide for a database structure of 10 meter readings per appliance for up to seven appliances. If you are familiar with the operation of Microsoft Excel then you may add to this data set and alter the parameters of the graphs accordingly.

Downloads available: Operating Guide.pdf and WattMeterCalculations.xls