By Matin Durrani
Here at Physics World HQ we’re more than happy with the concept of energy conservation.
So we have nothing against energy company E.ON’s attempt to get the public to reduce the amount of electricity they use by giving certain of their customers “energy monitors”.
These are small electronic gadgets that measure electricity consumption around the home in real time, allowing homeowners to keep close tabs on how much they are using.
But I was shocked to get an e-mail today from physicist Steve Bolter, alerting me to the fact that E.ON’s “Energy Fit” energy monitors indicate “Energy Now” measured in – wait for it – kilowatts.
If you don’t believe me, take a look at the picture on the right.
Even worse, click on the video above, which shows a smiling Kevin Bryant from E.ON showing the Fiddis family how the unit works. At about 3.27 minutes, you’ll see our Kev tell the unsuspecting Fiddises that “you are using 580 watts of energy at the moment”.
It’s enough to make you scream – particularly from a company that should know better.
