Power saver plug deja vu

It looks like from Clive's drawing that the Brits heat their hot water with Daleks.

Circuitmike

It's OK, but there are issues with the shaft/knob coupler breaking. There are other identical meters with different branding for less too. What you choose depends on where you are in the world and what features you need. The Uni-T UT210E is a handy little meter than can clamp DC current.

Big Clive

You've probably covered it many times, but how do you find the Amecal meter? Ive been eyeing them up for (non professional) automotive use and they seem to be reasonably well regarded.

Mark Chapman

Indeed that happened with us about 10 years ago. We couldn't figure out why our 300 litre hot water cylinder kept going cold overnight despite no sign of any hot water usage or leaks. Suspecting an underground leak, I used an infrared thermometer and found a hotspot on the kitchen floor about 5c warmer than the surrounding path of the underground pipework. We took a chance by digging up this area of the floor and found a leaking copper pipe that also had dent, likely there since when the house was originally plumbed in the 1980s before finally leaking.

Seán Byrne

That is indeed a very low energy bill for heating. Well done!

Frank

A leak in a hot water pipe under the slab of a house can use lots of hot water and cause the bill to skyrocket.

We heat our 1000 sq. ft. (92.9 sq. meters) home with propane gas in the winter, using a 99% efficient gas log set in our fireplace. Additionally, I keep my "workshop" (312 sq. ft./ 29 sq. meters) heated with a 10,000 BTU propane gas infrared heater that is thermostatically controlled. The cost in dollars US per year is under $800, for the typically warmish North Carolina winters where we see from several weeks to 6+ weeks of sub-freezing temperatures per year. And we do enjoy our 74*F (23.3*C) comfort in the winter!

Mustafa's Fleas

Not just 5G, but it also cleanses the mains power of dirty electricity. And we all know how detrimental that can be to "wellfulness".

Big Clive

It's most likely a heating thing. Does she use electric heaters?

Big Clive

Hot water cylinder stats going wild can be lethal. As you showed in your diagram, the boiling water discharges into the cold water cistern in the loft, which in turn overflows outside. But the cisterns are commonly thermoplastic which can distort enough to spill their contents into the bedroom below. I believe this has caused at least one fatality. Thermostats should now have a safety cut out.

Keith Miller

For a small initial outlay, save £60 pa - just take its fuse out! Result.

Keith Miller

Have to say I’m very disappointed with their advertising. The should have claimed it also sterilises with UVC and stops those horrible, nasty 5G signals in their tracks!

Exactly what I was going ask. Is it common for them to substitute not only cheaper/crappy value components but also completely different components?

Jon Knight

Very soon in the UK gas heating is being phased out. We have a log burner this may be liable for taxes in the next few years. I burn the waste from timber companies I visit in my work.

N. Shaun Tremayne

The lady in accounts where I work complains about her electric bill which is double of my bill. On questioning her to find out it is the number of Xbox and playstations they have. Between 70w to 180w and 3w to 9w on standby each one!!!!!!

N. Shaun Tremayne

Are the plug pins changeable at all? Wondered if you could cannibalise an old plug and get proper length ones in. My house is heated with a gas boiler and radiators. Not sure if that's more economic than electricity (price wise anyway)

JT

Yeah, I was desperately thinking what a "normal" temperature would be.

Big Clive

They may also have been using a retarder to make their meter run backwards. That runs at high current and definitely causes issues.

Big Clive

I love how Big Clive was trying to come up with a “reasonable” lower temperature value to set your house at. I know he wanted to say something like, “if you set your house to 6° to 10°C you could save a lot of money.” 😂

Lostngone

That 5.1k resistor seems to have a zener diode symbol underneath it - maybe originally they were trying to clamp the LED voltage but just switched to a resistor as cheaper?

Charleso

When I worked in housing there was a hack a number of residents employed to reduce their leccy bills, they took a piece of 6mm cable and jammed it up the arse end of the meter against the tails. It had the bonus effect of producing a lot of heat from the cable. Shame it usually resulted in a house fire and subsequent prosecution but I guess when you go to jail the leccy is free there!

The Tinkering Shed

Follow-up on why oil is worse: Old buildings that rely on heating oil also have issues keeping the heat reasonable, cooling down the structure is a massive concern and many run AC in the winter to cool it down. A lot of those old buildings are an epic bear to retrofit, but it is happening. Great piece on that -- hard to believe it was October I heard it: https://www.npr.org/2020/10/18/916586592/fighting-climate-change-one-building-at-a-time

Ryan Coleman

I have to argue... 50ºF in the 40th parallel or further north is borderline deadly. 64ºF (18C) is vastly safer to humanity. Heating oil in the US is a massively larger expense for heating than electricity ever could be.

Ryan Coleman