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-   -   Online home energy use trackers (https://ecorenovator.org/forum/showthread.php?t=731)

Daox 11-03-09 07:47 AM

Online home energy use trackers
 
Ever since starting this site, I have wanted (as well as other members who have voiced their ideas) a way to track their home energy usage. Unfortunately, I am not up to snuff on creating this feature on ER, and Ben is swamped with other things to do. However, I still think its a very important thing and am trying to think of other ways we can get around this.

For a long time now, I had just been running my own thread on my home's energy usage (http://ecorenovator.org/forum/conser...-tracking.html). Its a very clunky way of doing things and doesn't really get the job done well.

Recently, I started looking at other sites that you can use to track energy usage. So far, I have found a few, but I'm not sure which one I really like. I'd love to get input from you guys on which ones you like, or if you know of other ones that are better. Let me know.

The ones I have seen/tried are:
  • Microsoft Hohm - A nice site that is pretty smart and very detailed. It gives recommendations based on all the info you provide them.
  • Fuelstart.com - It is alright, a bit clunkier than the MS option. It seems to be a bit more focus on finding cheap fuels rather than tracking energy for efficiency sake.
  • I think Home : ENERGY STAR also has a tracker of some sort. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet though.

So, if you wouldn't mind, try one or two and let me know what you think.

charlie_D 11-03-09 04:58 PM

I tried out the Microsoft one. Perhaps it's because I had to use a fake zip code (US only, so I used the most northern little town in ND I could find), but I found most of the recommendations have no bearing on what you actually tell them.

For example, even though I told it I have a geothermal system and 100% CFL lights (which I do), it's recommendations still said I should replace my incandescent bulbs, and replace my furnace with a more efficient one.

For energy bill tracking, it looks decent.

I'll try out the other ones in a few hours; time to go find some more air leaks.

Charlie

NiHaoMike 11-03-09 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by charlie_D (Post 4674)
I tried out the Microsoft one. Perhaps it's because I had to use a fake zip code (US only, so I used the most northern little town in ND I could find), but I found most of the recommendations have no bearing on what you actually tell them.

For example, even though I told it I have a geothermal system and 100% CFL lights (which I do), it's recommendations still said I should replace my incandescent bulbs, and replace my furnace with a more efficient one.

For energy bill tracking, it looks decent.

I'll try out the other ones in a few hours; time to go find some more air leaks.

Charlie

That's Microsoft for you. I would recommend writing your own tracker in OpenOffice.org Calc. It's not that difficult.

Piwoslaw 11-04-09 07:13 AM

I glanced at those three sites and together with what Charlie and Mike wrote, I decided not to input all of my data. It's just too much work, and I already do it in OpenOffice anyway.
I try to write down the electric meter everyday, while the gas and water get recorded every 10 days (they're in places where it's not easy to get to).
I've got 10 or 11 months of gas, 13 months of water, and 15 months of electricity. Whenever something gets going here, I'll definately post it.

AC_Hacker 11-04-09 08:49 PM

Energy Use Spreadsheet...
 
1 Attachment(s)
While we're waiting for someone to write their own energy use spreadsheet, here's one that was offered by the Oregon Department of Energy.

Download Spreadsheet...

Best Regards,

-AC_Hacker

%%%%%%%%%%%%

cmittle 11-05-09 07:48 PM

Chalk me up for another Open Office tracker. Initially I was thinking that it would be nice to have one on here as well, but now that I've started tracking my own the way that I like I'm not sure if I'd put my information on it. On the other hand maybe if there was a tool on here it would get some people that don't currently to start tracking their useage.

charlie_D 11-07-09 09:42 PM

Open Office tracker actually looks decent. Doubly so since my systems don't run Windows, and I don't trust MS office to behave. :)

My main problem is remembering to read the meter each month. I forgot to do the reading in September, and they estimated my bill at $330... this month was $100 because of the over-estimation. The previous owners bills were about 300 monthly, as I recall... and I've been attempting to halve that. Regardless, it's going to make for a strange set of data points.

Charlie

AC_Hacker 02-09-12 08:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daox (Post 4670)
So, if you wouldn't mind, try one or two and let me know what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaLlvUw9ue4

Doesn't Google Docs offer such a capability?

-AC_Hacker


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