UPM Energy Meter Review
I purchased the UPM EM100 Energy Meter so that I would be able to report the energy usage of the products that I review here. Since it can be an energy saving (and eye opening) device itself, I will let you know what I think of it.
The device is fairly small. 2.5 x 5 x 1.5 inches approximately. It is packaged in the standard blisterpack with a multifold instruction sheet.
Two button cell batteries come with the unit to provide memory backup and power the overload buzzer. The unit has three lines on its display. They are easily readable and clear. The first row displays line voltage, current, wattage, max current, and max wattage. These values are cycles through by the botton on the side of the display, three buttons, one for each display line. The second row displays energy cost and kWHr display. The third line is a timer for cost calculations.
You can set a buzzer to warn of high power draw. There is no surge protection built in.
Setup and use of the meter is very simple. The instructions are clear and helpful. You will want to hold on to them to remind you how to clear the display. In case of emergency you can always remove the batteries for three minutes to reset the device. You are able to input your energy cost into the unit for overall cost calculation. If your bill is anyting like mine, I don’t have just one cost but several depending on my usage. So the cost reported by the meter is really for reference only. You can do this calculation yourself once you see how much power is being used.
Operation is as simple as you would expect. Plug the energy meter into your outlet and plug your device into the meter. The unit is large enough it might block other outlet holes. Depending on the orientation of your outlets, the meter may have to be plugged in upside down.
In the photo I plugged a lamp (CFL bulb) into the energy meter. As soon as power to the lamp was turned on the timer started. I had input my energy cost, but I never made it to the point where any cost was calculated. Presumably, over time you would see the total cost of whatever you had plugged in. I personaly don’t plan on using the device in one place for very long.
There is no information on accuracy of the meter. Not something I would expect given the cost of the unit.
This meter can be very useful to see how much energy your appliances are really using. Especially those items that you think are turned off but still draw power. For less than $30 it can easily pay for itself in a short time by helping you to reduce your energy usage.
