Re my utilities monitoring.
It's a basic kwh usage with notes to show when something that influences it has occured. New boiler, for example but not in my case. Service dates....yes.New water meter is included as that was a replacement for an old one.It's not a laboratory style set-up with rigidly controlled conditions. I've done many of those in the past. This is more akin to what I did with QA in work, monitoring a process to find the range of variability about an average and target and then instigate changes to reduce the variability, (basically increase control of variables). Then use proven techniques to spot when something was changing, and introduce changes to correct it. SPC type of monitoring. It stabilised the product's key attributes and prevented incorrect interference of the natural variation present. Great for live management with long term sensible tightening of that variation as well. In my case the end product being targetted is kwh usage.
It is easy to overthink a problem and try to over control with marginally reducing benefits as the changes become smaller with increased cost, effort. Replace an item for a more fuel efficient one? Yes if replacement is needed anyway, looking at the cost as part of it.
Spend £££ on latest tech or equipment for small benefits with a long pay back period. Simple, cheap, effective changes are easy.
