As you have probably noticed, electricity prices are rising in most areas of Australia, causing more and more strain on the hip pocket.  As electricity bills rise, people are starting to look at the way that they use energy so that they can reduce wastage and try and keep the bills under control.  One of doing this is by using a wireless electricity monitor.  Here’s what you need to know.

What is a Wireless Electricity Monitor?

A wireless electricity monitor is a special monitor that is designed to monitor how much electricity is being used in the house at any one time.  The monitor is capable of showing the following things:

• The electricity cost per hour
• How much electricity is being used (this is instantaneous) 
• Estimated greenhouse gas emissions
• The temperature and humidity inside the home

The wireless electricity monitor is able to transmit the above information to a portable LCD unit so that you can easily get the information whenever it is needed.  You can also have the data sent to your computer to help you analyse your electricity usage over time and see what changes have helped and what further changes you could possibly make.

How Does a Wireless Electricity Monitor Work?

A wireless electricity monitor works by using a sensor that is placed over the incoming wire.  The sensor is then connected to a transmitter which sends the signal to a receiver and/or a remote receiver.  Even though it is a very simple installation, the law still requires that the monitor is installed by an electrician.

Why Use a Wireless Electricity Monitor?

A wireless electricity monitor is extremely beneficial for several reasons.  Of course, the most important is that it helps you to see how much energy that you are using. When you know where large amounts are being used, you are able to make changes.  For example, you can get rid of that old second fridge, change your lights to fluorescent, switch your hot water to off peak or even solar, or even use the dryer less. Wireless electricity monitors also help you to make lifestyle changes that you may not have otherwise have thought of such as turning lights off as you leave a room, or turning off appliances at the wall rather than leaving them on standby.

The monitor can also provide you with safety benefits.  Just look at it before you leave the home and you’ll know if you’ve left something on or not, such as the iron or oven.  Just as an example, a hotplate from your stove will read out at about 30 cents per hour, and this readout alerts you to the fact that you’ve left it on and you can go back and turn it off.  No more worrying if you’ve turned something off or not and no risk of a fire starting!