Wattvision (YC W09) setup | Hacker News Reader

Wattvision (YC W09) setup

scott.wiersdorf.org

19 pointssavrajsingh8 comments

Hi HN, this was my blog post. I fully expect the Wattvision to pay for itself in about a year based on what I've seen in the 3ish weeks I've had it (our latest power bill was almost $20 off from last year for about the same average temperature).

I thought we were a pretty energy conservative-household, but seeing the immediate effects that certain appliances and lights have on our consumption has changed how Mom, Dad and all the kids (even our 7 year old) use electricity. We know which light banks cost the most to use and when we leave everyone makes sure to check lights and shut down everything else we don't need.

Also, you can see live data for free. If you don't see the value in API and alerts, don't do the monthly payment options.

The original setup was actually far easier than I posted. When I first installed it, I had tucked the entire device into my phone utility box and had zero wires going inside the house. I reconsidered that plan after deciding that the box might get too hot in the summer. Fortunately I found some existing cabling and my OCD genes kicked in when I realized I could bring the gateway device inside with all my other blinking lights.

I expect most folks will simply run the (exorbitantly long) cable from the sensor through a window or other existing conduit. The original setup took under an hour for me and was working fine.

I'm confused. So I have to pay $249 for a sensor, then pay $9/month to have any real access to the data? Biggest ripoff ever.

I know HN is all about monthly billing, but it seems like these guys are really reaching on this product. The amount of 'work' this company is doing for that $9/month plan is almost nill.

Looking at the product there is definitely real IP in the hardware, and paying for a service shouldn't be a surprise. They're a real company.

You couldn't argue you aren't interested in the value they provide, but questioning the fact that running a service costs money is ridiculous.

I don't question that running a service should cost money. I question why hardware I buy and host should be apparently unable to do its job without relying on an external service whose survival is not assured. It's another instance of building an appliance for consumers that could have been a full-fledged tool we relate to as human beings.

"Real IP" is not a reason. They just charge because they can. And one is free to chose whenever they want to pay or not — there are always alternatives.

It is also worthwhile to note that you don't need the monthly subscription. You can always see your live data for free.

It makes sense to pay $9 if it saves you enough money on your electric bill. (You have to factor the $249 in too.)

That being said, it looks like a gaint pain in the ass to install, at least for now. I'd spring for it if I was paying my own light bill, but I wouldn't expect less-technical people to.

They should probably target at businesses small and bigger at these price points. 9$ a month or even 29$ might be awesome for bigger warehouses, shopping centres or office towers etc.

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