Over the last few months I’ve been trying to do my part in reducing my power usage. It’s very hard given that I have a ton of electronic devices/gadgets/computers running daily. I’m in the process of finally finishing up my Automation UI/Server (completely rewrote the HAI connection library in .NET) and wanted to add/display my current power usage some way into my UI. So from anywhere in the would I could control my house, see my security camera’s, control my audio system, and see my current power usage. I found that the TED 1000 could handle my needs and ordered one… I have to say, it is one of the best electronic devices I have ever bought. Here’s why:

– Installs in under 15 minutes (need to be comfortable with wiring inside your power panel)
– It costs under $175
– It has already saved me over $50 in one month of usage
– Displays current voltage, current wattage (KWH), peak for month, peak day, KWH today, KWH month, KWH Month To Date, KWH Projected. It also has the ability to show real-time cost (you program the rates into the TED)
– It has a serial port (API not yet published) where you can connect with a PC and poll the data — Key feature in getting this data to my UI’s!

This gadget becomes a game, where you try to see how low you can get your KWH. Before TED… I was running at 1.500KWH, now I’m at .980!! I know there are devices like the Kill-A-Watt, but the TED 1000 is better because you can see your whole house power usage updated every second — plus once the serial port API become available, the uses are endless… how ’bout, if the power usage spikes above a certain treshold, say when my wife is blow drying her hair… I turn off the outlet in the bathroom, then announce over the whole house audio system via the HAI and Rusound CAV some annoying message…

Do us all a favor and buy a TED 1000 and help cut your energy usage by half! I will have my TED 1000 paid for in 3 months — for sure!

TED 1000 — Product Page