Power Meter

This plug-in monitor is built for tracking individual appliance usage—ideal for spotting energy hogs like heaters, kettles, or gaming setups. You plug it into the wall, then plug your device into the monitor. It shows real-time power draw, total energy used (kWh), and even cost estimates if you input your tariff. The LCD backlight makes it easy to read in low light, and the 180° screen tilt helps visibility from different angles. It stores usage data even after unplugging, which is handy for multi-day tracking. The overload alert kicks in if a device exceeds safe limits—solid for safety. ✅ Pros Accurate readings—tracks watts, amps, volts, and kWh Backlit display—easy to read in dim areas Cost tracking—input your tariff for £ estimates Memory retention—keeps data after unplugging Overload warning—adds safety for high-draw gear 2-pack value—monitor multiple devices at once ⚠️ Cons No app or smart features—manual tracking only Not suitable for hardwired appliances—plug-in only Limited to 13A devices—not for heavy-duty site gear No export function—can’t log data externally Slight learning curve—requires setup for cost tracking 🧍‍♂️ Personal Verdict Used this to monitor a heater and fridge—gave clear readings, helped spot energy spikes, and confirmed which gear was draining the most. For under £20, it’s a proper tool for cutting waste and keeping tabs on power-hungry kit.

I have only had the meter for a week or so. We bought it to replace a much older unit (different model and manufacturer) that had mysteriously become very inaccurate. Everything so far has been quite pleasingly simple. The massive advantage over the old device is that this meter will integrate the power reading over a period of time to give total energy consumed in kWh. The old meter would only give current power consumption. If the equipment under test has fluctuating demand (e.g. anything with a temperature controlled heater or pump), it is very difficult to get a good idea of energy usage without this feature. I have compared the voltage reading against an accurate digital voltmeter and get agreement with 0.5%. I cannot be sure the current range is as accurate, because I could only compare it with a current clamp working at the lower end of its range, but the readings were consistent so I have no reason to doubt the plug-in meter. I do find it strange that nowhere on the unit is there any mention of the manufacturer or model number, although there is a label giving the electrical specifications. The instructions are very brief, as mentioned elsewhere, but then they'll get lost anyway! It is obvious how to operate (except I have not used the cost function. I am perfectly capable of multiplying the kWh buy the charge rate using a calculator). The most important point to remember ( I will probably write it on the unit) is that you can clear the readings and restart the timer by holding don the "FUNCTION" and "UP" buttons for a few seconds. For us it is really useful that we can clear the readings without having to interrupt power to the equipment for which we were measuring the power consumption. I have not had any need to press the "RESET" button yet. The price was very keen and it's doing a really good job for us so far. I have no reason not to give it 5 stars

This has worked exactly as expected with no issues. It’s easy to plug in, simple to read, and gives clear, useful information straight away. The display is bright and easy to see from different angles, which helps more than I expected. I’ve been using it to keep an eye on power usage and it’s done exactly that. No fuss, no problems and I'm happy with it.

Great tool to help assess and record energy usage. I used this tool to verify what an electrical item requires at startup under load and average usage to see if my pure sine wave inverter can support it, in my truck.

Although there are many of these identical looking power meters, they are not all the same in operation. A check on YouTube will show that the internals of these are much the same, featuring 2 integrated circuits (ICs). One does the volts, amps and power measurements, and a second is a microcontroller, that also includes the user interface button behaviour via software (firmware). It is the user interface firmware, which is customised by the maker, and can results in major differences , resulting in some being better than others. Unlike some others, the user interface on this one is fairly logical, and consequently easy to remember. I had originally brought another similar looking type, which I had to send back because it had no working backlight. But found its user interface was totally different, and not very well thought out. In its set up procedure it even included setting a real time clock, which you don’t need. You actually just need duration, which this meter provides, together with the 7 display modes, which are simply cycled though by just pressing the Function key. Another very important aspect of this meter maker is the attention to safety. Whilst most of the others show and use a metal reset tool, that looks a bit like a paper clip, this maker supplies a plastic reset tool, shaped for the job. Being plastic is very important, because behind that recessed reset button is live mains potential. There is no isolation transformer, and its not a good idea to use a metal tool, especially as rubber buttons tend to loosen up after a while,and can have gaps. BTW always enter cost per kWh in pence. It will stay in pence, with the decimal point moving as the cost increases.

Meter appears to work well, but the build quality isn't great. Removing the thin clear film from the display seemed to almost pull the display out of the casing.