Gadget review: Wattson Silverlining Personal Energy Monitor

The folks at Wattson must have been mightily annoyed when EON started giving out free energy monitors last year. I've got one of these freebies in the corner of my dining room.

Whilst its novelty value has long since disappeared, it has provided me with almost telepathic powers of energy appliance usage; 300W - that'll be the girlfriend's hair straighteners or 100W - that'll be the dishwasher.

Such a party trick has limited mileage, so I was eager to see if Wattson could re-energize my energy saving and justify the princely sum of 129.

The Wattson resembles what can only be described as a cross between a futuristic Lego brick and a motorway crossing.

It's quite shiny and has a very cool embedded LCD display which appears to hover below the top surface.

This sprang to life with rapidly cycling red digits as soon as I had clipped the wireless transmitter to my fuse box. Unlike the digit-festooned EON monitor, Wattson have gone for a minimalist approach - gradually glowing from blue to purple to red to signify ever greater levels of energy use.

The digits displayed alternate between energy usage, cost for the year and a clock; changed by simply tilting the unit towards you.

Wattson includes a USB cable allowing up to four weeks of energy-use history to be examined.

I've got mixed opinions on Wattson and even if I didn't have my EON freebie, I'm not sure I'd be tempted.

Claims that it could save you up to 25 per cent off your energy bill are a bit optimistic, especially as you start off at negative 129. That said, as a funky interactive gadget ornament, the Wattson combines Tron-esque retro looks and eco-functionality with aplomb.

It glows from blue to red to signify greater levels of energy usage

Wattson Silverlining Personal Energy Monitor129, available from http://shop.diykyoto.com and www.amazon.co.uk

This article was first published in The Scotsman, 2 April, 2011