Self-powered water and energy meter helps people green up their bath time

Nov 30, 2013 21:31 GMT  ·  By

I've seen some really cool gadgets and gizmos intended to help people monitor the ecological footprint of their showers over these past few months, but I have to admit I like the Amphiro best.

This little device lets people keep tabs on how much water and energy they use when taking a more-or-less-hot shower. This information is provided either in a very matter-of-fact way, or in a fun, entertaining one.

Long story short, you can choose to have a polar bear and a melting glacier shame you into cutting your shower short. Check out the video above to see the device at work.

Its manufacturers say that it is easy to install (one just has to fit it between the shower hose and the handheld showerhead), and that it runs on energy it itself produces whenever water flows through it.

“Our product shows your hot water consumption in real time and helps you reduce your carbon footprint in an entertaining way. With amphiro a1, the typical household saves 440 kWh of energy as well as 8,500 liters (2,250 gallons) of drinking water and waste water – year by year,” its manufacturers say.

On November 27, the folks behind this water and energy meter started a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo. Whatever money is raised will be used to make the product better and available to a wider audience.

“After the success of amphiro a1, we want to bring the device to the next level to effectively reach a broader audience,” the meter's creators explain.

Furthermore, “Your contribution will help us to start the production of the new displays and to accompany the new product versions with an appropriate packaging.”

The campaign runs until January 26, 2014 and everybody is invited to contribute.