Wattson helps you save on your electricity bills

Are you melting the planet?

19 July 2007 9:17 GMT / By Stuart Miles

A new gadget is coming just in time for Christmas, that will allow you to easily see how much electricity you are using around your house.

Called the Wattson and available from Firebox.com, the handheld wireless unit will monitor how much electricity you use and even the cost you'll pay across the year if you left it on.

Coming in a white box with simply an LED display of the wattage or cost in pounds, the device (which takes 4 watts to run by the way) can also be plugged into your computer via a USB cable so you can download and analyse your data to see how you use your electric over the course of the year.

To get the information, all you have to do is attach the box of gubbins around the electricity cable that comes into your house, which Firebox say you can do yourself rather than having to employ a professional.

The unit also has a bright light underneath it that changes from glowing blue to red if you're burning too much electricity while prices and cost of electricity are calculated by entering the cost you pay for a single watt.

Priced at £149.99, it's hitting the shops in September.