Jan 03 2014
Earlier in the year I wrote about choosing the right power socket when there may be multiple voltage sockets present – this will usually be in hotels when abroad but you might find them in other places. However, you may still need to consider the physical plug in use at your destination and whether or …
Dec 11 2013
Just a quick update. Well, after replacing pretty much everything else in the house with Panasonic products the last frontier was the laundry which has been ruled by Asko appliances for the last decade. The Asko One washing machine has done an admirable job but has required a little more attention in recent years with …
Sep 06 2013
if you’ve been reading regularly, you may know that I have been on a bit of a crusade to decrease our electricity bill after it tipped over $1000 about a year ago. This has been primarily in the form of replacing particular devices and next week sees another major step towards saving a bit of …
Jul 30 2013
It’s nice to get away from it all and take a holiday every now and then but just because you’re clocking off doesn’t mean your power bill will do the same thing. If you have a home server that will continue to use power as will the fridge, hot water service (if you’ve got an …
Feb 18 2013
Here’s a quick tip. Hotels in some countries can offer power sockets of varying voltages in the same room which may leave you scratching your head as to which one to use before you’ve even cracked out the adapters. Well, it’s pretty simple – use the socket that provides the maximum voltage compatible with the …
Jan 11 2013
Down under I reckon solar power has raised its profile quite a bit given generous subsidies and feed-in tariffs which has stimulated uptake of solar arrays being installed in homes while some businesses have bitten the bullet as well. However, as those incentives are scaled back, it is worth considering if simply installing solar by …
Dec 30 2012
Along similar lines to a post I had written up in the past about the difference between recharging from the mains power and USB there is something worth knowing about recharging your gadgets in the car. Not all rechargers are the same and can vary in the amperage they can output. Lower amperage chargers can …
Oct 14 2012
A couple of weeks ago I managed to take delivery of a new Panasonic refrigerator to replace our aging and capacity strapped Fisher and Paykel Q 442L fridge. It took some effort to get the fridge into the house and shuffle the old and new fridges around but my wife and I finally managed to …
Sep 28 2012
It’s taken a while but I’ve finally arranged for an electrician to come out to install the CT clamp for the Current Cost EnviR Power Monitor in the electrical meter cupboard outside. Given that I was taking today off to get an extra day for the long weekend and also take delivery of a brand …
May 07 2012
As much as we love a good UPS to look after our precious electronic gear in the event of power surges, sags and blackouts there comes a time when it’s important innards, specifically its batteries, eventually wear out and can do no more to protect us. This occurs naturally with any sort of battery and …
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