Availability

Product Description

The Owl dispenses with the bells and whistles and provides two choices for electricity monitors: The Owl, and The Owl Micro -- the Micro is the least expensive monitor available today.  The Owl has a and easy-to-read display showing your electrical consumption, along with indoor temperature and time of day.  The Micro gets even more to the basics with a smaller display showing just consumption.

These Models Work for US and North American Electricity

The Owl has been for sale in the UK and Europe for years, but North America has a different electrical system than most of the EU -- the versions we sell are specifically designed and tested to work here.

We Love The Owl Because it's Simple.

Battery operated displays mean you can put it where you want.  Wireless communication with the sending unit mean, well, no wires -- not even a plug for the wall is needed.  It has a clean, white display with large, easily read, high-contrast LCD numbers.

Installation is a snap ... literally.  Two specially designed current sensors wrap around the incoming power lines at your electrical panel -- there's no electrical connection (the sensors read current using magnets).  The sensor wires plug into the wireless sending unit which you mount near your electrical panel.  A button establishes wireless communication with the display.  You set your electrical rate and that's about it.

Learn How Your House Uses Electricity, and Respond

Do you know how much power you are using now?  Do you know how much your refrigerator uses?  Maybe it's worth turning up the temperature on that  air conditioner running all day while you're at work?  Did your kids forget to turn off the heat in the basement when they were done? (mine do, and I know -- every night I turn off those blasted heaters I save about $3, and let's just say, the kids forget a lot).  

And maybe most importantly, how much does your house use when everything is "off"?  In our house, we're down to about 250 Watts -- cable modem, router, .  We started at well over 1,000 Watts, and I can assure you absolutely nothing we were using was doing anything useful.  At the average electrical rate in the country, 100 Watts turned on all the time for a year costs about $85 (in the NorthEast it can be about $150/year).  We saved a lot (yes, more than $1,000 a year), and continue to find little ways that reduce out electricity bill month after month.

Sure, We're A Little Nutty, but it's not required to Save Money

OK, so we're a little over the top with the whole electricity monitoring thing, I admit.  Your electrical rates are probably a little lower than ours. But then again, when we turn off an unneeded lightbulb, it's most likely a CFL or LED -- if you're like many people, you're still using incandescent bulbs, and so simple habits like turning off the lights when you leave a room can make a big difference.  Do you need an electrical monitor for that?  Probably not.

But there's something about just getting to know your house that makes all the little changes we have made over time painless and hardly noticeable in how we live our lives.  Electricity is invisible until you expose it!

We Thought You'd Like To Know

Please, Make Sure You Can Successfully Install The Owl before Ordering

While it's true that The Owl installs in minutes, it's not a job that everyone is comfortable with.  We don't want you to be disappointed or get something you didn't expect.  And while we're fine with accepting returns, they cost everyone time and effort -- a few minutes of your time can make sure you're looking at a product that is right for you.

Installation of The Owl or The Owl Micro is a very quick and easy job, however you must remove the cover from your electrical panel in order to gain access to the two main power lines serving your house.  In some parts of North America, building codes may require an electrician for this work.  In all parts of the country, we strongly encourage you to make sure you are completely comfortable around electricity and understand what parts you shouldn't touch.

The current transformer (CT) sensors for The Owl are a little bulky -- if your electrical panel is very crowded, please take a moment to ensure that there will be enough room in your panel to install the CTs and replace the panel cover.  The wires from the CTs need to be routed outside the electrical panel, so you'll probably need to punch out one of the holes designed for this purpose in order to lead the wires out.

Nitty Gritty

The Owl

• The Owl display is 4-1/4" wide x 5-1/4" high x 1-1/8" deep
• Wall-mountable, swing-out legs for table stand
• Comes with 6-AA batteries (3 for the sending unit, 3 for the display)
• Has a 90-foot wireless range
• Comes with 2 current sensors, for standard North American 2-phase electrical services
• Accepts an additional current sensor (optional additional accessory) for 3-phase power
• Configurable for time-of-day rate plans (peak/off-peak)
• UL® Approved

The Owl Micro

• The Owl Micro display is 3-1/8" wide x 3-1/2" high x 2" deep (there's a built-in table stand)
• Comes with 4-AAA batteries (2 for the sending unit, 2 for the display)
• Comes with 2 current sensors, for standard North American 2-phase electrical services
• UL® Approved

Please note, the manufacturer of The Owl has been selling a similar product in the UK and Europe for several years, but the UK/EU version will not work on the North American power system.  These new US versions are different in a number of ways and are designed and tested and UL® approved.