Thursday 26 June 2008

Put it to bed

Well we have just finished another edition of The Green Parent, which will be published next month. It's a green homes special issue and we have featured some really fabulous eco houses and natural decorating tips. It was great fun to work on, though the subject matter gave me itchy feet, which I tend to get in the summer months anyhow. So, now the office is relatively quiet and the computers will be getting some rest at night. We recently got an Efergy Energy Monitor that shows how much electricity you are consuming and it's quite addictive. When we first got it, I rushed around turning plugs off at the wall and have now worked out a few tricks to keep energy consumption down. The kettle uses a surprising amount of power so I am going to try making sun tea while the weather is so gorgeous. I'll let you know how I get on. The coffee machine that we were given by a friend in an exchange for a subscription to the magazine, is actually more energy efficient than the kettle, probably because it's quicker and only boils a small amount of water. There are some interesting looking eco kettles available now but I don't think buying an entirely new product is really the most green of solutions. Let's hope that sun tea tastes good...

4 comments:

rae-ann said...

Hi Melissa,

Congratulations on starting your blog! I hope you enjoy writing it.

Can I ask about the energy monitor? I borrowed an OWL monitor from a friend and I'm very disappointed to find that it does not have a cumulative amount function.

Most electrical things, especially those that produce heat, cycle on and off. So it might show 76p an hour when my husband is taking a shower, the washing machine is on and the kettle is boiling, but it doesn't actually show me how much that 5 minute shower takes or how much the 40 degree washing machine cycle uses.

Can you tell me more about the monitor you have? Does it show a running total, or only a 'live' total?

Rae x

Melissa Corkhill said...

Hi Rae,

This is a question which requires a little investigation. I shall check it out and post back. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to learn more about this gadget!

Love and light, Melissa

Melissa Corkhill said...

Hi Rae,

Taken from the Efergy website:

The efergy meter will store up to the last 2 years information. It also stores last 7 days and last 4 weeks data so you can compare easily and in minutes your energy habits in the last days or weeks.

Hope that this helps,

Melissa

rae-ann said...

Thank you, Melissa. Reducing the amount of electricity we use is high on our agenda at the moment :)