Are there any consumer products that Choice has tested or reviewed that report Electrical Power Consumption?
Is power metering a feature that we should be looking for in consumer products such as Air Conditioners, Cooktops/Ovens, Fridges, TVs, Multipurpose Cookers, etc ?
It might help us to manage how much power we consume, as well as make better decisions post purchase on the products we purchase. Given the majority of consumer appliances are no longer dumb appliances, digital displays are common on many, it canāt be too hard to add just one more small device to the micro-controller.
My recollection is that at least one Split System Air-conditioner manufacturer (MHI) offers this as an option on some models. Practical and purposeful.
And
Gaming Computers with OLED displays of the instantaneous power level achieved. Awesome, and self gratifying!
Or is there a good reason manufacturers would prefer not to?
Is this worth a Choice Campaign?
Edit (P.S.)
Are there any other examples of consumer products that self report power usage - instantaneous or cumulative?
Inexpensive power metering devices that you plug into the powerpoint and then plug the item you want to meter into it. This can be used for any home plug in device.
Obviously that wonāt work for hard wired equipment like air conditioners.
Or cooktops and electric ovens. Itās also inconvenient for many other appliances where the power points are built in to cupboards or behind the fridge.
There has been some prominent promotion of smart connected homes and devices including light bulbs, remote switching and monitoring. Perhaps there is another way with every smart controlled power point also metering power use at the socket. Although electric HWS, ovens and cooktops are often hardwired.
There are also those which have sensors that which wrap around a power cord which allows individual appliances to be monitored or a circuit wire to allow one to see how much a particular circuit (or even house) is drawing.
This website provides some options which are availableā¦
I found this one which hopefully has an approved clamp meter and reliable software.
Some other devices attach to the smart meter and respond to the flashing LED consumption indicator. @PhilT commented on one such device in another topic.
Iāve yet to identify any that communicate directly to the smart meter over a digital channel. The thoughts are it is technically possible, but something the meter gods will not allow in case someone finds a way to hack the meter through the interface. In which instance Iād suggest itās not a very smart meter.
The Need!
The regulator and all our Governments are supporting a transition to Cost reflective pricing/tariffs.
The electricity distributors are transitioning the Retailers to ToU or Demand based charges for those premises with suitable (smart) metering. There is a flow on to the offers available from the Retailers. For consumers on either of these tariff types being able to monitor real time consumption is critical in making the best use of electricity and minimising the cost of their usage.
IE enable the customer to actively monitor and manage consumption in real time. Essential for reliable demand management, and minimising peak consumption.
Currently the Distributors are not providing real time monitoring. Consumption data in 30 minute increments is available to those with smart meters, but only in arrears. Large retailers such as Origin, AGL etc provide access to that data with a 24-48 hr lag through customised apps at no additional cost.
Looking to the two QLD distributors as an example, the regulator and distributors are forecasting more than one million Qld customers will be on ācost reflective tariffsā for 2024-25. This is indicative of the possible demand for real time monitoring.
As consumers, it would seem far more appropriate for the distributors to supply a suitable device and app with each Smart meter?
I have a couple of smart meters for plugging into, so I periodically plug in to check what the current consumption is. Its interesting how the advertised power draw is sometimes more or less than that advertised (eg on my DeLonghi heaters.) Mine are Cygnett, there are others more expensive by EVE, and others less so by Meross.
