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http://openenergymonitor.org/emon/guide is supposed to be exactly what you're asking for.

It's obviously not perfect, so let's take advantage of this opportunity to improve it while helping you out?

Thanks Schism. I did see this.

Trying to figure out do I need to buy  emonTx V3 and a Raspberry Pi?

Happy to help in developing an idiots guide...

You need a base station - recommend the Pi and RFM12Pi board with the gateway forwarding ('rock solid') SD card for a simple start up. Put the SD card in a computer and edit the settings file with your emoncms API key.

All you need to do then is stick the RFM12Pi and SD card on the Pi, plug in ethernet and power, and you're away.

I don't have an emonTX, but I think the easiest option is just to add a fully assembled v3 to your order. You just need to do some minor final assembly / plugging stuff in, and you should see inputs on emoncms.org as if by magic :)

Looking at the guide, the picture and the first paragraph are both inaccurate by omission! The emonTx sends the data by radio to both the emonBase and the GLCD, and a base is not necessary if all you want to do is monitor (and not record) usage. If you don't want the local live display on the emonGLCD, you don't have to have it - but then of course you do need the emonBase to send the data to emonCMS where you can both see and record it. But as the picture implies, you can have both a local display on the emonGLCD and the data recorded and displayed on emonCMS.

Thanks both. I will make the plunge this week and see how I fair. :-)