There's nothing like putting real time water and energy usage information in your face to change people's shower habits, and that's just what Amphiro's a1 self-powered water and energy meter does. It connects between the shower hose and a handheld showerhead and, like the Driblet, generates the electricity required to power it from the flow of water running through it.
The a1 is currently only available in Europe, where Amphiro says it achieved sales of over 7,000 units in the first three months after launch. The device was the subject of a study supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy involving 700 Swiss households, which saw average savings of 440 kWh of heat energy and 2,250 gallons (8,500 L) of water per household, per year.
The original a1 model is activated once the taps are turned and water starts flowing. For the duration of the shower, the display shows water temperature and the volume of water used, along with a climate animation featuring a polar bear. When the water is turned off, the display rates the energy efficiency class of the shower from A+ to G- and the energy consumption in watt-hours or kilowatt-hours. The device them automatically turns itself off three minutes after the water flow has stopped. If the shower is turned back on within three minutes, the meter will pick up where it left off.
Source: Gizmag
