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Re:Wattvision: The Smart Energy Sensor by brianleb on Monday August 13, 2012 @11:41PM (#4379282)
That last sentence tipped me off to the real matter at hand. I think the problem is that you can't appreciate the ROI of the product until you've experienced/received the ROI of the product. And in truth, it isn't an easy choice - the most likely way for me to save money on electricity would be to change my habits. If it were easy, then I could do it without this $250 device. If I wanted to change, then I would just do it. This thing would guilt or otherwise convince me to change myself, which is typically not an easy or pleasant thing.

I'm writing as someone who could afford the $250 device (and would probably benefit from it, given the quantity of electronics in my home), but I'm just not convinced enough to take the plunge. What it would take for me is seeing one in action and laying hands on the device or talking in detail to a friend about their outcomes with the device. But right now, it all just seems like a pipe dream, and I can spend less than $250 on a pipe dream.

Re:Wattvision: The Smart Energy Sensor by tedunangst on Tuesday August 14, 2012 @12:24AM (#4379401)
Maybe get a killawatt instead? Tons of fun running around your house plugging stuff into it, but of course you can only measure the stuff you can plug into it. Also, as a renter, it's something I can actually use. Surprised nobody's mentioned it yet, they're fairly popular as the low tech version of this.
Re:Wattvision: The Smart Energy Sensor by tptacek on Tuesday August 14, 2012 @12:00AM (#4379334)
Savings for us had absolutely zero to do with habits, unless stuff like incandescent bulbs are a habit.
Re:Wattvision: The Smart Energy Sensor by pbhjpbhj on Tuesday August 14, 2012 @10:47AM (#4381135)
So you didn't know you had incandescent bulbs until you used the wattvision, or whatever, or you didn't realise they used more power, or you didn't realise leaving them on used more power???
Re:Wattvision: The Smart Energy Sensor by tptacek on Tuesday August 14, 2012 @12:11PM (#4381635)
There were a couple of things plugged in in my house that were chewing up huge amounts of electricity. Very large incandescent bulbs in our bathrooms were one of them.
Re:Wattvision: The Smart Energy Sensor by icebraining on Tuesday August 14, 2012 @02:09PM (#4382268)
Wouldn't it have took you less time to check the wattage of each bulb on the house than having to buy, receive, install and run this meter?
Re:Wattvision: The Smart Energy Sensor by tptacek on Tuesday August 14, 2012 @02:28PM (#4382375)
No? The whole point of the meter is that it won't occur to you what things to look at. The entire value proposition is spotting those things for you.

If you're the kind of person who memorizes the wattage of everything you plug into your house, then yes, this might not be money well spent. It was for me.