Do you have questions about the Current Cost EnviR Wireless Energy Monitor? Read our FAQ questions and answers below.
Will it work with 3 phase power?
Yes. To measure three-phase power you need a total of three sensor clamps. All you need to do is buy two extra clamps with your Energy Monitor (see purchase options at the bottom of this page).
Will it show me how much electricity I’ve used over the past month?
Yes. The display screen shows your usage for the past day, 7 days and 30 days.
Can I download the data?
Yes. You will need to buy a USB Data Cable from the home energy monitor page. The unit stores 90 days of kWh per day and 7 years of kWh per month. If you want to record usage at smaller intervals you can, but you will need to leave the monitor plugged in to your computer or laptop.
To download the software for the monitor go to this Current Cost website and:
- Download the driver OPTION A, and
- Choose a software program (we have used Techtoniq in the past)
Can I use this at my business site?
Yes. Although this monitor was originally designed for households, it also works very well at small business sites. Each transmitter can track up to 100 amps of power consumption. In practical terms, if your electricity bill is below around $25,000 per year then you can use the monitor to track your usage.
How far will the transmitter signal travel?
We have tested the signal to 50 metres.
My meter box is over 50 metres away, can I still use the energy monitor?
Yes. You should be able to clamp over the incoming supply cable before it gets split off into individual circuits at your household switchboard. We recommend using an electrician to do this as it is often ‘behind the board’. If you have a circuit breaker at your switchboard, you may be able to do this yourself (clamp around the cable which goes into the breaker – if this is on the outside of the board).
Can I use the energy monitor to look at individual appliance usage?
Yes. You do this by observing the difference in consumption when the appliance is turned on and off. The screen updates every 6 seconds. Some free software programs will allow you to download data at this very frequent rate.
You can also use the Energy Monitor to track individual circuits at your switch board (eg. air conditioning or hot water, if they are on their own circuits). However, the primary purpose of the Energy Monitor is to look at the energy consumption across your entire home.
To monitor individual appliance consumption in detail we recommend using the Plug-in Power Meter.
Is the energy monitor compatible with Google Powermeter?
It was, but Google PowerMeter is now closed.
Can I enter three time-of-use tariffs from my smart meter?
No. The monitor can only take two tariffs. For an alternative, the new Watts Clever energy monitor can accept up to three tariffs.
Bear in mind that no energy monitor on the market can account for the true complexity of a three tariff system. This is because these tariffs change depending on what time it is, the day of the week and whether it is a public holiday (i.e. the monitor would need a complete calendar in it).
If you want detailed cost information, your best option is to download software and analyse it in Excel (or similar). Some software such as Techtoniq allows you to export data to Excel.
However, most people find that entering an average tariff rate is sufficient, as you will probably find the power reading more informative than the precise cost.
Can I monitor my solar power production using this monitor?
Yes. You can use the monitor package to track your solar power production. You will most likely require the assistance of an electrician to make sure you clamp the sensor over the correct cable.
Alternatively, you can monitor both your power consumption and solar production. We recommend using the new Watts Clever solar energy monitor for this purpose.
How do I add an additional transmitter to the display unit?
On the display unit click the ‘up’ or ‘down’ arrows. You will notice that apart from the main screen there are nine other screens labelled “Appliance 1″ to “Appliance 9″. Data from additional transmitter units can be received on any of these screens. Simply place the display unit on one of these screens, then follow the instructions for “pairing” a transmitter and display in the instruction manual.
How do I erase all data from the unit?
Switch off the power to your display, then hold down the ‘up’ and ‘down’ arrows and at the same time switch the power back on, then release the ‘up’ and ‘down’ arrows.
The display will then go through its ‘reset’ cycle.
What size are the sensor clamps?
The internal diameter of the sensor clamp is 12mm. If you need a larger clamp, use the Watts Clever model (clamp size = 25mm).
I’m confused by all the terminology: how does it work?
Please review the graphic below the understand the three components of the monitoring system.

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