So,
After another guesstimated bill of R1300 (for a household of 2 people, who barely cook), I think I want to get some monitoring system in place so I can see what we really use, vs Eskom's version.
Its a pretty bleak picture out there for devices - the US stuff won't work for obvious reasons - 110v go bang bang., so its pretty much stuff thats aimed at the british market.
There are a number of devices out there.
E2 - http://www.efergy.com/media/download/datasheets/e2classicv2_uk_datasheet_web2011.pdf
The Owl - http://www.theowl.co.za ( http://www.theowl.com )
Current Cost EnviR - http://www.currentcost.com/product-envir.html / http://www.currentcost.com/international-partners.php?firstregion=MiddleEast&country=SouthAfrica
Flukso - http://www.flukso.net
I took a hard look at the options available - they all have pluses and minuses.
The E2 doesn't provide live monitoring as is, and its USB with proprietary software, so thats out.
There are hacks to read the data pin live, but if I'm going to bother going to all that effort, may as well get a proper unit. They're cheap elsewhere, but not here...
The Owl - looks interesting, but Radiant don't appear to carry the 3 phase one I need, and the UK supplier seems rather uninterested in selling them to me. They haven't even bothered replying to my mails 2 days later..
Envir - haven't looked at closely, looks interesting, and has "local" supplier
http://www.currentcost.com/international-partners.php?firstregion=MiddleEast&country=SouthAfrica
Downsides - less features (from my perspective, and a higher price). The supplier is local to me though (up the road < 2km away in fact!), and its a USB one.
This is the one I'm going to import -
Flukso - its R1900 with shipping, and 3 connectors (I have 3 phase, so need 3 clamps to read each phase for monitoring).
Its wifi - and can log either locally, or to the Flukso website. I'll probably roll my own - I already have a fairly decent setup on the house NAS, what with ZoneMinder and other stuff already installed and running, so its no bother to add in some more bits and bobs.
I'm in the middle of replacing the Geyser with a solar system - I'm overspeccing it so I definitely have enough hot water no matter what, so that will make a hopefully big difference, and am busy importing myself some replacement LED houselighting - as China costs are pretty similar to standard bulb cost here, and the local prices are 10x+ what I would pay to get it myself. Even counting in *airfreighting* it in 3 day DHL, plus duties, I have an extremely healthy discount over local pricing. I'm not going to say there's gouging going on, but it doesn't look like pricing has reached parity on that just yet...
If my brothers work office does toss out their big ups equipment, I'll probably go completely solar, as panels aren't that much, and big UPS's are perfect for that solution. The batteries aren't the best for it, but one makes do
Suggestions, or comments?
After another guesstimated bill of R1300 (for a household of 2 people, who barely cook), I think I want to get some monitoring system in place so I can see what we really use, vs Eskom's version.
Its a pretty bleak picture out there for devices - the US stuff won't work for obvious reasons - 110v go bang bang., so its pretty much stuff thats aimed at the british market.
There are a number of devices out there.
E2 - http://www.efergy.com/media/download/datasheets/e2classicv2_uk_datasheet_web2011.pdf
The Owl - http://www.theowl.co.za ( http://www.theowl.com )
Current Cost EnviR - http://www.currentcost.com/product-envir.html / http://www.currentcost.com/international-partners.php?firstregion=MiddleEast&country=SouthAfrica
Flukso - http://www.flukso.net
I took a hard look at the options available - they all have pluses and minuses.
The E2 doesn't provide live monitoring as is, and its USB with proprietary software, so thats out.
There are hacks to read the data pin live, but if I'm going to bother going to all that effort, may as well get a proper unit. They're cheap elsewhere, but not here...
The Owl - looks interesting, but Radiant don't appear to carry the 3 phase one I need, and the UK supplier seems rather uninterested in selling them to me. They haven't even bothered replying to my mails 2 days later..
Envir - haven't looked at closely, looks interesting, and has "local" supplier
http://www.currentcost.com/international-partners.php?firstregion=MiddleEast&country=SouthAfrica
Downsides - less features (from my perspective, and a higher price). The supplier is local to me though (up the road < 2km away in fact!), and its a USB one.
This is the one I'm going to import -
Flukso - its R1900 with shipping, and 3 connectors (I have 3 phase, so need 3 clamps to read each phase for monitoring).
Its wifi - and can log either locally, or to the Flukso website. I'll probably roll my own - I already have a fairly decent setup on the house NAS, what with ZoneMinder and other stuff already installed and running, so its no bother to add in some more bits and bobs.
I'm in the middle of replacing the Geyser with a solar system - I'm overspeccing it so I definitely have enough hot water no matter what, so that will make a hopefully big difference, and am busy importing myself some replacement LED houselighting - as China costs are pretty similar to standard bulb cost here, and the local prices are 10x+ what I would pay to get it myself. Even counting in *airfreighting* it in 3 day DHL, plus duties, I have an extremely healthy discount over local pricing. I'm not going to say there's gouging going on, but it doesn't look like pricing has reached parity on that just yet...
If my brothers work office does toss out their big ups equipment, I'll probably go completely solar, as panels aren't that much, and big UPS's are perfect for that solution. The batteries aren't the best for it, but one makes do
Suggestions, or comments?
