Looking For Help With Watthour Meters

audioluvr

So I built an apartment above my barn, originally for my mother who now is incapable of climbing stairs, and now I'm renting it out to a young gentleman. My contract says that I provide electricity but he has to heat the place with the provided pellet stove. Needless to say during a monthly inspection I noticed that he has 3 electric heaters about the place that were running. I reminded him that he can't be heating the place with those but I have no way of monitoring usage. Yet.

My electric bills are rediculous. Anyone have any ideas they have experience with on a cheap meter system?

GlennDog

@Lightman . . . where's Russ?

pitdogg2

Look at the wattage on the back of the heaters, most are 1500 watts. 3 could easily overload a circuit if they are all on one.
1000 watts is 1kw per hour IIRC

mhardy6647

^^^ almost right, but not per hour. If one consumes 1000 watts of power for one hour, that integral is 1 kW-hr (i.e., 1 kilowatt "times" 1 hour) of energy.

Consume 1 kW of power for 10 hours (or 10 kW for 1 hour) = 10 kW-hr



"It's a little-known fact!"

pitdogg2

That picture is hilarious^^^

mhardy6647

pitdogg2 wrote: »

That picture is hilarious^^^

it is terrifyingly apt - it's even captured the je ne sais quoi of my hunchback

audioluvr

Thanks guys. I ordered a couple cheapie Chinese wattmeters just to get me started but I'd like something that is essentially revenue grade. Still doing research.

GlennDog wrote: »

@Lightman . . . where's Russ?

Ya. Russ? Calling Russ!

gmcman

Does the "apartment" area have it's own subpanel?

audioluvr

Yes

lightman1

https://www.gordonelectricsupply.com/p/Leviton-1K240-1W-100A-1Ph-Energy-Bndl-Kit/5799826?gclid=Cj0KCQiA6NOPBhCPARIsAHAy2zDumUdTqxn5J8XlWyrw7wUHMPboruV0GgPcVqPIUnavQrIFzqsrxawaAkx8EALw_wcB

lightman1

Ties in to the sub feed for the apartment.

audioluvr

Saw that. Thanks. Kinda spendy but should pay for itself in the long run. I'm also looking at this one.

stevep

This looks interesting: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08G37ML2R/ref=sspa_dk_detail_2
1/3 the cost of the more popular Sense https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075K6PHJ9/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1

audioluvr

No internet in the barn and I'm just wanting a simple meter I can read each month.