Every part of the home seems like a threat to your energy bill. The stove, the air conditioner, and the microwave are villains in the saga of undue energy consumption in our lives. Until now, not having enough information was the biggest problem in this battle. Now, devices like the amphiro a1 exist to provide information about temperature and amount of water used so that users can stay on top of things.
What it doesn’t have, though, is a Bluetooth LE chip to communicate with other devices, a lack their Kickstarter campaign wants to address. The amphiro b1 would be the next version of the flagship product, and its release would coincide with a companion app to take advantage of its new technology. With it, users will be able to compare consumption with others and set goals or alarms. A developer API will allow anyone to tinker around with the product itself, allowing all kinds of interesting applications. And considering that it’s powered by a micro-turbine within that spins with the water flow, the amphiro b1 itself is eco-friendly too. Right now, the product is going for £49 (~$77) and can be expected in May 2015. The campaign’s goal is a cool £20,000 (~$31,300).
Smart metering has become the cure-all for our consumption issues, and the amphiro has already proven successful with its a1 model. It’s b1 iteration with Bluetooth LE capability will only make the device better, but it ultimately seems like baby steps in territory already conquered by a fellow product in the space, the Eva Smart Shower. Eva already does everything the amphiro b1 does and adds a motion sensor alongside more customization, at a higher price point. In any case, more options can only be good, and the amphiro b1 is a solid one.