A device which enables electricity users to see at a glance how much an appliance is costing to run has been patented by a Co Mayo man. The Electricity Cost Monitoring Unit (ECMU) is a compact, digital device which will take the shock out of ESB bills, according to its designer, Mr Alex Corcoran.
Wall mounted or plugged into an electrical socket, it shows in pounds and pence exactly what the cost is, explained Mr Corcoran, from Crossmolina. Along with daily electricity costs, it also shows users their electricity costs since their last bill and gives an accurate estimate of what the next bill will be. It will retail at about £30.
"The ECMU gives the users control of their electricity costs. This eliminates the surprise of `high bills', especially during the winter when bills double and treble", said Mr Corcoran, an electrical technician.
He has had numerous offers from British based companies interested in the device but wants it to have "designed and made in Ireland" stamped on the back when it goes on sale.
"I would like an Irish company to come on board. I feel the product has massive global market potential. I have had some approaches from Irish companies and am speaking to Forbairt at the moment about making up a prototype.
If mistakes occur in a bill, he explained, users of the ECMU would be able to spot the error. It also has a built in alarm that warns of possible electricity wastage.
The unit will come in three versions, domestic, industrial and the hand version. It can also be monitored remotely worldwide via modem and interfaced with computer energy management systems in larger industrial and commercial installations.
"Landlords can also use it for tenants who come and go before the electricity bill period," said Mr Corcoran.
He came up with the idea last January while living in London. "While sharing the top half of a house, we received an electricity bill for over £300 which blew me away. We wondered if we had been overcharged or if the meter was wrong but we had no way of knowing this. It seemed crazy to me then to be buying a product without knowing what it costs until you get the bill."