Power Meter Plug Energy Monitor Watt Backlight LCD Display Electricity Usage Consumption Analyzer Voltage Amps Wattage KWH Outlet Socket, Updated Version 180° Viewing Angle

I have only had the meter for a week or so. We bought it to replace a much older unit (different model and manufacturer) that had mysteriously become very inaccurate. Everything so far has been quite pleasingly simple. The massive advantage over the old device is that this meter will integrate the power reading over a period of time to give total energy consumed in kWh. The old meter would only give current power consumption. If the equipment under test has fluctuating demand (e.g. anything with a temperature controlled heater or pump), it is very difficult to get a good idea of energy usage without this feature.I have compared the voltage reading against an accurate digital voltmeter and get agreement with 0.5%. I cannot be sure the current range is as accurate, because I could only compare it with a current clamp working at the lower end of its range, but the readings were consistent so I have no reason to doubt the plug-in meter. I do find it strange that nowhere on the unit is there any mention of the manufacturer or model number, although there is a label giving the electrical specifications.The instructions are very brief, as mentioned elsewhere, but then they'll get lost anyway! It is obvious how to operate (except I have not used the cost function. I am perfectly capable of multiplying the kWh buy the charge rate using a calculator). The most important point to remember ( I will probably write it on the unit) is that you can clear the readings and restart the timer by holding don the "FUNCTION" and "UP" buttons for a few seconds. For us it is really useful that we can clear the readings without having to interrupt power to the equipment for which we were measuring the power consumption. I have not had any need to press the "RESET" button yet.The price was very keen and it's doing a really good job for us so far. I have no reason not to give it 5 stars

The power meter seems to do what it says on the tin, keeping track of various measures of energy consumption.However, the instructions are slightly misleading - they say the settings will be retained "when power off". They also say that it will reset to factory settings if disconnected from the power supply and reconnected. This seems contradictory, but they mean that the settings will be retained while the power meter is plugged into a live socket, regardless of whether the device plugged into the power meter is on or off.So if the power meter is plugged into a switched socket and you turn that socket off (or if you unplug the power meter), you'll lose the settings. This means that the meter is best suited to devices that are permanently plugged into a live socket (and possibly have their own ON/OFF or Standby switch).Note: You could retain the meter settings by turning your device on or off by plugging or unplugging it from the power meter, but this means plugging into or unplugging from a live socket, which is not recommended for safety reasons.

1. It showed me that the TAPO P110 smart plugs I use to shut everything off (eg all the computer gear at night) are not super accurate. EG, Testing a fridge over 24 days, TAPO 23.7kw. The Blue beast, 24.7Kw (TAPO 1.06 Kw out)TAPO plugs use only a few watts and are Wi-Fi linked to an APP on my mobile phone. The APP has just been updated and seems to be more accurate now, and you can add your Kw/£ unit. However there have been some changes to how it displays readings which are taking some getting used to.2. BLUE You CAN reset the values, by pressing FUNC and UP together for a few seconds. Rather than fiddling with the 'reset' tiny button. Partway through test now, so cannot double check, but I think it keeps price, clears rest. If not, adding price again is no big thing.3. Bit of a pain that you have to press FUNC to get it to light up, which shifts it to the next page, then you have to cycle through the pages again to get to 'Using NOW' which includes, top, 'run time' (which is the amount of time the item has been using more than 2 watts, ie actual working hours total.) Using Watts 'now', middle, and at bottom, COST 'up to NOW'. You learn fast this page, is right after the page with HI written at the bottom.4. I can read the screen, sat on top of the counter, even when it is in 'dark' mode with the backlight off. So I stopped having to cycle through all to get the backlight on.5. Right now, I am testing two fridge/freezers at the same time. A on a TAPO, B on BLUE.Fridge A is old, old, and built into a kitchen as an undercounter fridge freezer, H86,W54,D60. Ave 0.9 Kw a day. My first set of tests on fridge A alone was with a TAPO AND the BLUE. Running the 2 fridge comparison A has just a TAPO (updated APP) on, and the BLUE is on the B, other fridge.Part of the reason A is using so much, apart from being old and inefficient, is that it is jammed in there with no ventilation. It is in effect, heating itself, in a box then having to cool itself back down.The pump peaks at 100w on start up, down to 71w just before it shuts off and it cycles for an hour at a time. Then has a rest, while it soaks in all the boxed in heat, for a bit over an hour... Then off we go again. 24 hour test, runtime 11 hours. Temp varies between 7.4c and 2,6c during this insanity.NOW, I only know about the runtime and pump peak specifics because the TAPO smart plug (Updated APP) gave me that info as a graph (past 24 hours, Power). I had to work out runtime from APP, (APP not clear on this, whereas Blue is specific). BLUE will tell you it peaks(HI)at something like 1560W, because it is so sensitive and for a split second that is the load watts to get the pump to start, but it doesn't really help in this situation. But BLUE will give you a very accurate runtime, from start, to NOW. Not, each day and when, which the APP will. So the best way to use the BLUE is run an appliance for an hour, or, a day (24hours, eg 3pm to 3pm). Or you can just plug something in and see what it uses and take your shoes and socks off and do some maths.6. Fridge B, Running on just BLUE, this fridge (16 year old, Whirlpool, class A before the codes changed) I dug out of storage. Stood on the kitchen in free air. Uses ave 0.35 Kw a day. Peaks (I had to watch for this when I heard it turn on) 69w and tails to 51w just before it shuts off. Runtime (accurate from BLUE), 6 hours a day. Temp max 5.8c, Min 3.9c.SO the question becomes, (and if you read this far, thank you) is the Blue Beast worth having?ABSOLUTELY!You can very quickly find out what an item, or set of on the same 4way, appliance uses, right at that moment or over a period of time. And for a fridge, or washing machine < 60'C, 2h40m, 1.44Kw, 48p at 33p/unit> (as long as you can get to the plug and plug it in) you can gather enough data to decide to rip out an old built in fridge and put the 16 year old one in instead.... and save £80 a year.

Just what I wanted and as described. After all the talk of "Vampire" devices I wanted something to check exactly what all my "stuff" takes when on stand-by.Well, this is it, and using a known, small load, seems accurate to 0.1 W . Loads of other features too, including programmable tariff.A very good device, and gives an accurate picture of what your gadgets are actually taking. (Vampires ! ??)

Well made product, works fine.