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Featured Wattson Owner: Week 2 - The Gibbins Family

 

When did you first purchase wattson?
I think we were one of the first wattson owners – we have an original wattson Limited Edition from December 2006.

Why did you decide to purchase wattson?
we wanted to understand more about our energy use, I thought the whole family would be able to enjoy using and get something positive out of it.

Please describe your experience of setting up wattson.
All the bits were there, we put it all together and had it working pretty quickly

How did you first use it?, were there any immediate discoveries that you made of your energy use?
we got it just before Christmas, and were astonished when we found how much energy the 10 little ceiling lights in our dining room were using after we finished a family dinner – we’ve since swapped all the halogen bulbs out for low energy ones, which wasn’t easy!

Where do you keep your wattson?
we keep it in the living room, and we can see it from the door when we walk past

How often did you (and do you now) check the data on wattson?
everytime I walk past the living room door. It was a big learning curve at first, now I just look at it to see what sort of level we’re using, and try to work out what’s making it so high.

Do you think wattson has changed the way you use electricity?
yes, definitely. We turn things off whenever we’re not using, we use dishwasher and washing machine overnight when it’s a lower rate, and the tumble dryer is now just for emergencies only

What is your favourite thing about wattson?
the way I feel satisfied when it’s humming away on blue. Can I have 2 things? I like it being a talking point in my living room too. The kids like the colours best.

Any other thoughts, experiences, stories about wattson?
the children have grown up with it and so are aware of the effect they can have on it, it’s not just me having to try to get them to turn things off, we’re all working on it together. My son has now joined the eco-group at school and he tells the other kids all about it.

Featured wattson user TONY

We’ve recently heard from Tony Dyhouse who has been using a wattson for three years and has over 1000 continuous days of logged data. We thought this was quite an achievement and so asked Tony to send in a photo and some of his experiences. See the full interview below.

We’re also planning on making this a regular feature so if you think you can beat the number of days of data, or have an interseting wattson story to tell, we’d like to hear from you.

When did you first purchase wattson?
In January 2008.

Why did you decide to purchase wattson?
I’m a geek. I love new technology, especially anything that connects to a computer. I confess the technical side was my main interest, rather than any thoughts of reducing my electricity bill or helping the environment.

Please describe your experience of setting up wattson.
Setup was easy. It worked out of the box. I especially liked the transmitter being battery powered as otherwise I would not have been able to get a power connection o it despite it sitting next to my meter!

How did you first use it?, were there any immediate discoveries that you made of your energy use?
Initially, as it wasn’t possible to set dual rates (as I recall), I didn’t bother with the exact prices shown but used them in a relative way. That is I used comparison between days and months to see what effect I was having. 

I especially loved the simple and elegant design of Wattson. The lighting feature; changing from blue to red depending on usage, is very addictive. I wasn’t happy if it glowed red and would go about turning off devices to try and make the light blue!

Where do you keep your wattson?
I use a spare bedroom as an office it sits next to my pc. It’s permanently connected to the mains supply so that I don’t have to worry about the battery running out. However I do live in an area where there are regular power cuts so the battery maintains supply.

How often did you (and do you now) check the data on wattson?
I check the light regularly – it’s always in view. I upload the data to Holmes normally every week. On occasion I forget or am away and that time may be extended. Every time I collect new data I check out the graphs to watch for any abnormality or change.

Do you think wattson has changed the way you use electricity?
Yes. I didn’t set out to change my habits. I don’t see myself as an especially environmentally concerned person. I just love technology. But it did change my behavior. I became keen to change the red light to blue and that challenge has continued.

What is your favourite thing about wattson?
You may have guessed it… the light which changed colour according to usage. It makes saving energy fun. I also love the tilt mechanism for changing the data which is displayed. Altogether great design which fits any décor. There is a design flaw though which I mention later.

Any other thoughts, experiences, stories about wattson?
In my desperation to keep the light blue I made my wife’s life a misery. I was constantly nagging her to turn off lights, limit kettle use etc. I even purchased a one-cup kettle so I could see our graphs reduce.

Oliver Heath Recommends wattson

in a post for MyDeco, Oliver Heath recommnds wattson, saying:

'the now classic Wattson energy meter is a must for the style conscious eco hero this Christmas.'

To read the rest of his post, click here