Blue Line Innovations BLI 28000 PowerCost Monitor

by Blue Line

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The PowerCost Monitor is a proven, user friendly real time electricity monitor. You can't manage what you can't measure. Don't wait for the electricity bill at the end of the month - see in real time, every 30 seconds exactly how much electricity you are using and the associated cost. Measure the cost of specific activities or appliances. Use the estimating function to project your end of month's usage based on recent behavior. Simple, do it yourself installation. Everything that you need in the box and ready to go in 30 minutes. Full customer support to assist.

Product Description

The BLUEline Innovations PowerCost MonitorTM and Energy Meter informs you in real time of exactly how much electricity your household is consuming. A wireless sensor clamps to your energy meter and transmits information to a portable, wireless receiver tha

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0028LS5GA
• Item model number: BLI 28000
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,875 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #35 in Home Improvement > Electrical > Tools & Testers > Voltage Testers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great product! Definitely worth it!, September 2, 2009

By 

Alan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Line Innovations BLI 28000 PowerCost Monitor (Tools & Home Improvement)

I was skeptical about something like this at first. I wouldn't have even thought about getting one until we had a very large bill for utilities last month. I decided that since the meter was less than what was wasted in electricity last month, it was probably worth it. And it was. Our utility company doesn't print the cost per kwh on the bill so I got an education on just how high our electricity rates were compared to surrounding areas. After getting that initial kwh cost, setup was easy. I only needed a flat and a phillips screwdriver and I was done.
I was really surprised when someone in my home who always leaves the tv on and the lights on when they leave the room was walking around and seeing how much the meter changed when they turned things on and off. The education that electricity does cost money was worth it. If you're trying to save the planet with this, then save your money and just shut everything off. If you're trying to live life and save money for your family, this is a great buy.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Pretty neat device, but it only lasted a month outdoors, February 28, 2010

By 

Andrew J. Lundberg (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blue Line Innovations BLI 28000 PowerCost Monitor (Tools & Home Improvement)

We got one of these some time ago, and installed the outdoor unit outside on the electric meter (as it needs to be set up). It does provide real-time tracking of your electrical usage, though on our large home we have so many cycling motors in heating systems and refrigerators and such that you could not practically test turning on an off a light and see how it changed the load.

The real weakness of the system is that the sending unit mounts outside on the electrical meter, and while it appears weatherized with seals on the battery compartment and reset switch, we had a heavy rain after a month after installing it, and the seals didn't seem to actually keep the electronic dry. The unit died from the water exposure (and didn't recover once dried out). So while it was pretty neat, it only lasted a month, so I'd avoid this unless your meter is well shielded from rain.

In retrospect I'd suggest looking at the competing products that mount entirely indoors at the circuit panel, as anything less weatherproof than the electrical meter itself just isn't going to last.

Andrew

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great but the outdoor part only lasted one year, September 28, 2010

By 

MacHankStein (Monterey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Line Innovations BLI 28000 PowerCost Monitor (Tools & Home Improvement)

I found the PowerCost Monitor easy to set up for both the indoor display and the outdoor part that couples to the electrical meter. The information provided about our electricity use was extremely helpful. Although it records your aggregate electricity use, you can get an instant profile of power consumption for individual devices if you power only one device on at a time. (For example, in the future I will only buy a gas clothes dryer and not an electric dryer.) My complaint is that the outdoor part of this device broke after one year. Sold on the idea, I bought the Energy Detective which couples to my electrical panel and has lasted several years. However, it was necessary to have an electrician install the Energy Detective. Installation of the PowerCost Monitor is easier and safer.

The PowerCost Monitor and the Energy Detective are like having a taxi meter display of your actual power use. It can hurt to see how much money inefficient appliances are taking from you in real time.

Last year, our electric company had computer billing issues and sent us bills that were off by several hundreds of dollars. We only paid the amount shown each month by our Energy Detective. When the power company had straightened out their billing issues, it turned out that our estimates from our meter were almost identical to theirs. Without this device, we would have panicked at their incorrect bills.