Monitoring Each Wire in Consumer Unit

[PengEF]

Hi first off, I am not an electrician but know enough to be classed as dangerous but wise enough to not touch anything I shouldn't.

Have been wanting to monitor my elecy usage for a while and was wondering if there is anything out there that I can buy and have fitted that does this? Seen a few mentions of clamps and things and suspect there is. However I wanted to go a little further and see if there is anything for connecting around each of the live wires in the consumer unit so it is possible to monitor elecy usage on a more granular level? i.e. what the 2 lighting circuits are using, the protected kitchen circuit, the cooker circuit and the rest of the sockets etc...

Sorry if this is in the wrong forum or been asked before. Did do a search but couldn't find anything, but maybe I was searching for the wrong thing.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[Farmelectrics]

Get I touch with your elecy supplier mine is eon and they will send you a kit out free of charge

 

[ipf]

Get I touch with your elecy supplier mine is eon and they will send you a kit out free of charge

Free ? Wouldn't mind a few of those, might come in useful to prove the odd point.
I hope they come with instructions for the uninitiated. Could be dangerous, to say the least.

 

[Marvo]

I can suggest you try an owl monitor, I'm pretty sure they're available in the UK. You can use it on the main supply or you could also use it on individual circuits. It will log the energy usage for at least a month and some models can wireless upload to your pc and give you graphing etc.

*Edit* Looks like Tescos supermarkets sell them but might be worth shopping around.

 

[matthunt]

Hi, yes there are devices out there that monitor usage on a sub circuit level, the only problem they seem to have is picking up values from other adjacent sub circuits if also monitored. You can use these devices (CTs and voltage readings) as long as they are far enough apart. Try monitoring individually and then multi circuit and record the differance, this will give you a relatively accurate reading.

 

[Marvo]

A word of warning with CT's (current transformers) they can get very hot and cause fires if incorrectly wired. Certainly an accurate way of doing it but maybe not the best solution for a non-electrician. Split CT's are also notoriously expensive and solid one's which are cheaper can be quite involved to install.

 

[PengEF]

Get I touch with your elecy supplier mine is eon and they will send you a kit out free of charge

honestly never thought of that one. Thanks may give that a go.

 

[PengEF]

I can suggest you try an owl monitor, I'm pretty sure they're available in the UK. You can use it on the main supply or you could also use it on individual circuits. It will log the energy usage for at least a month and some models can wireless upload to your pc and give you graphing etc.

*Edit* Looks like Tescos supermarkets sell them but might be worth shopping around.

Thanks Marvo that looks promising.

 

[Strima]

Southern Electric are giving away Onzo monitors, actually started to save a bit of cash once we got ours, you'd be surprised what turning the freezer down a little does.

 

[oba]

Thaws your food?

 

[Knobhead]

I hope you all noted Marvo’s warning about CT’s.

They act as a constant VA transformer, open circuit one and the output voltage can rise to dangerous levels. I’ve seen one flash over between KlipOn terminals.

On that happy note, best of luck with your energy saving project PengEF, please let us know how you go on with it. I for one would be interested to know if having a constant reminder does make you more conscientious.

 

[Marvo]

I can imagine people being conscious of their consumption would in itself reduce their usage. We have a pre-paid energy dispenser that I never got around to boxing it in so the little flashing consumption LED is visible. There's many occasions when the LED is flashing quickly and I'll run around the house switching off unnecessary lights, ceiling fans etc.

 

[Philpot]

If you Google "Electricity monitor" you will get a wide selection to choose from £25 to £100. I used my free Npower one to monitor the consumption on some heated propagation beds in a greenhouse. It is possible to input the unit cost and you can get a reading of day/week/month. The sensor clips onto the cable feeding the cct and is battery operated, normally this is the incoming cable by the meter but the choice is yours. The display is powered by a lv transformer plugged into a socket. The connection is Bluetooth so you have to be a bit careful it is not a metal enclosure but the range is normally "around the house". I had no problem from stray magnetic fields but did make sure it was as clear of other conductors as possible. Useful little tool.
Philpot