“Look what happens when I switch on the kettle!”

“Right, I’m going to try turning off the lights in the kitchen!”

“Oh my god, did you see what just happened when the washing machine came on?”

I know – it’s sad but true. With less time and energy than is contained in one kilowatt-hour, we had transformed into electricity measurement geeks.

I’d just got bac from the launch of the Low Carbon Households project, which is being run by Lewes District Council. Fellow Living contibutor Jeremy and I will be monitoring our home electricity use for a year, as will more than 30 other households in the district.

An eco-eye out

We’ve all been equipped with an eco-eye mini, a neat little device that reveals what’s going on behind the scenes.

The idea of monitoring energy use may not push everyone’s button, but when you get one of these bad boys clamped onto your supply you can’t help but get involved with it.

It’s very simple. You plug the sensor into the mains or insert a couple of batteries (they came supplied with proper ones, Duracell AAs – when does that ever happen?). Then you lock it on to one of the wires going into your fusebox – no cutting or rewiring required.

Next you put batteries in the separate monitor screen, and set the time and the cost per unit of electricity (according to your last bill). And that’s it. You’re recording real-time use of power in kilowatt-hours, and can see how much your current use would cost over a week, month or year – as well as the likely CO2 emissions.

Within seconds, you’re wondering why the level is so low, or so high, and why it’s changing all the time. It’s a bit of a jolt.

We’d been told at the meeting by Climate South East’s Matthew Bird that the kettle would be a shocker, and he was right. Making a cup of tea sent our low, mid-evening reading shooting up five-fold. You quickly realise why the National Grid struggles to cope with the surge in demand during half-time in cup finals.

And…?

So, this is all very well. But will it actually change the way we behave?

Well, the early signs are: yes. Our kettle doesn’t have a water gauge, so it’s easy to overfill. I did exactly that this morning, and felt so unable to waste the hot water that I made a full cafetiere (which could be reheated later, for rather less power, in the microwave) and a Thermos flask of tea for my train journey later in the day.

I’ve eased off the monitor-watching a bit this evening, but it’s sat there, watching, waiting, and ready to reveal the true energy impact the next time we hoover, or dry the kids’ hair or leave the TV on standby.

And as they say, knowledge is power.

Anyone else out there got an eco-eye mini or similar smart meter plugged in to their home? Let us know your experiences of whether it’s helping you to save energy.

IMAGES by me

Photo Gallery: 2009 Cadillac Converj, 2009 Volkswagen Concept BlueSport – Fuel Efficient Concept Cars, Hybrids and Reviews – Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2009 Porsche Cayenne Diesel – 2009 Geneva Auto Show Coverage, New Car Reviews, Concept Cars – Automobile Magazine

Photo Gallery: 2009 Aston Martin Lagonda Concept – 2009 Geneva Motor Show – Latest News, Features, and Reviews – Automobile Magazine

Full disclosure: since the age of 12, I’ve inexplicably been a devotee of all things Citroen. As such, I was a bit excited that a DS revival would appear at the 2009 Geneva motor show.

Having seen the concept earlier this afternoon, I can say this: ceci n’est pas une DS.

Contrary to what emblems and press materials may say, this simply isn’t a DS – in any sense of the term. Although they may have been quirky, the DS’s design was lightyears ahead of other cars. Indeed, upon your first encounter with a DS (or its stripped-down sibling, the ID), you can’t help but lose yourself while admiring its sultry shape.

Such instant infatuation doesn’t occur with the DS Inside. Walk inside Citroen’s dimly-lit room, and you’re presented with a car that resembles the love child of a C3 Pluriel and a Mini Cooper S. Although it’s less ugly in person than what press photos may suggest (thanks in no small part, I presume, to Citroen’s strategic lighting), it carries none of the visual gravitas of the original car. When the DS was launched in 1956, crowds excitedly gathered around it for hours on end. Today, people simply meandered out of its private viewing room with no visible sign of emotion.

Perhaps it is a bit unfair to compare this, the smallest version of the forthcoming DS range, to the legend, but that’s a comparison that will forever be performed so long as the DS nameplate is applied. I’m fearing that this may be a tremendous marketing blunder on Citroen’s part – couldn’t this car simply be sold as a designer-edition C2 or C3?

Although I hope the two future DS sedans will be as revolutionary as the first, I’m now fearing for the worst. To Citroen? Bonne chance.

Although big, bold, and brash automobiles all but rule the Geneva motor show, we can’t ignore the smaller rides – especially when they happen to be fun, fresh, and funky. Here are five of our favorites from this year’s show.

2009 Fiat 500

What’s to like? We can’t praise this one enough. It’s an adorable, affable little car, but it doesn’t let its retro-chic shape prevent it from offering a suave interior and a surprisingly refined drive. There’s also a version for every taste – a convertible for sun worshipers, a diesel for hypermilers, and a 160-hp Abarth “esse-esse” model for the hot hatch fanatics.

Will it come Stateside? Possibly. Should the Fiat-Chrysler deal actually transpire, the 500 is on the short list of cars that would cross the pond.

Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA

What’s to like? The normal MiTo is already a shapely, sporty hatchback, but the GTA kicks things up a notch. 240 hp, sport-tuned suspension, and racy styling are all pluses in our book.

Will it come Stateside? Our Magic 8 ball says to “ask again later.” Not only is the MiTo’s arrival in the U.S. hinged upon the Chrysler-Fiat marriage, but there’s also a lot of speculation as to the GTA’s future itself – after all, it’s still a concept at this point.

2009 Suzuki Swift Sport 100th Anniversary Edition

What’s to like? Although the name might trigger flashbacks of a Geo Metro twin, the present Swift – sold almost everywhere but America – is a slick-looking hatchback. The Sport 100th Anniversary Edition model looks even better – adding a monochromatic paint treatment, a custom body kit, and large aluminum wheels makes the miniscule Swift look a lot like a shrunken VW GTI.

Will it come Stateside? Not likely, as Suzuki plans on keeping the SX4 as its smallest North American offering at this point. A shame, as the Swift actually seems to be a competent, attractive, and (possibly) inexpensive ride.

2010 Volkswagen Polo

What’s to like? It’s like a fifth-generation Golf, but at three-quarters scale. Everything you may like about VW’s “larger” hatchback – styling, interior, powertrain – is here, albeit in a resized form. Still, it comes off as one of the most upscale subcompacts we’ve seen in a while.

Will it come Stateside? Most likely, as VW’s expressed interest in playing in the growing subcompact segment in the U.S. Whether we’ll receive this car or the last-generation model remains to be seen.

Daihatsu Trevis

What’s to like? The Mini Cooper may be retro, but Daihatsu seems to capture more of the original’s spirit with its Trevis. It’s slow (power comes from a 1.0-liter I-3) and small, but hey – so was the first Austin Mini. The look is so convincing, we’ve had to do a double-take several times as we’ve passed these on the street (one, painted in British Racing Green with white hood stripes, really had us confused.

Will it come Stateside? We’re fairly certain Daihatsu’s parent company – Toyota Motor Corporation – has bigger fish to fry than re-launching the brand in the U.S.

I’ve neither read nor heard a discouraging word about the Fiat 500, the oh-so-cute retro mobile that has taken Europe by storm. I absolutely agree that the design is totally endearing; I’d jump at the chance to drive a 500; and I’d love to see this car come to the United States (possibly via a link-up with Chrysler). The discouraging word, therefore, is not for the 500 in general, but for the new 500C (convertible), just unveiled at the Geneva auto show. What a dud. I’m sorry, but a 1950s-style rollback canvas roof does not a convertible make, even if it is the way Fiat did it back in the day of the original 500. The car does not meet the minimum open-air standard for convertible-ness, and, as a second offense, the stacked canvas top effectively obliterates the view out the back. Happily, Fiat also offers a traditional sunroof for the 500, and that strikes me as a far superior solution for sunseekers in Europe’s hottest supermini.

The new Rav4 engine is a perfect example Toyota’s advanced engine technology:

• Dual indepedent variable valve timing (VVT-i)
• Offset crankshaft
• Roller rockers
• Three-stage variable oil pump
• Reduced-tension piston rings
• Auxiliary belt drive

Perhaps the neatest upgrade, however, is the Acoustic Control Induction System (ACIS), which changes the length of the intake runners based on operating conditions to deliver the most torque and fuel economy at any given time.

The new engines from Toyota not only promise better fuel economy, but also more power.

Source: Toyota via our fuel economy forums

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2. EV Madness: 2001 Rav4 EV goes for ,200 on Ebay
3. Mobil Claims New Motor Oil Can Save You Over 0

It’s been a hard couple of months for everyone in the auto industry, no one is debating that. Some days it seems like no one is buying anything. Japan in particular has been rocked by a strong Yen and plummeting exports. This means that not only is the country sending less vehicles abroad, but that the money they receive on every sale is worth less in the Japanese domestic market.

However, there seem to be a few rays of light at the end of the tunnel. Many will (naturally) point to the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight as representatives of the new class of green car in North America, but I think last month’s sales figures from Honda paint a different picture. While hybrid sales are still doing comparably well in the grand scheme of things, small, cheap, and fuel-efficient cars like the Honda Fit are surging forward in the automaker’s lineup.

What does this mean? I think it represents a shift in the American car-buying mindset. Times are tough, and people are not only trying to save money on gas, but they’re cutting the fat. Do you really need to spend that extra ,000 on a Prius when you could get a small car that is still among the most efficient in its class?

What do you think? Am I premature in thinking that hybrids are falling by the wayside in the face of more conventional conservation or will Honda see a resurgence of hybrid sales with their more affordable Insight?

Related posts:

1. New Honda Insight Already Beating Expectations
2. Honda Insight Debuts at Detroit
3. New Honda Insight Debuts at Paris Auto Show

One of the first things you notice when you start wandering around the Geneva Motor Show is that virtually every major automaker offers diesel engines. Lots of them. Many of them are even in cars that we can get in the U.S. market but only with gasoline engines. As our regular readers know, I’m a fan of modern diesel engines. Being in Geneva gives me a chance to present, in no particular order, 10 examples of cars available in the U.S. (or available soon) that could really benefit from having a diesel option. All the mileage figures have been converted to U.S. mpg. No need to use glowplugs, let’s just get started.

Filed under: Diesel, Geneva Motor Show

Geneva 2009: Top ten diesels you can’t get in America! originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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