With energy and water bills on the rise, eco gadgets are flooding the market, writes Sarah Pickette.

There is a direct link between rising utility bills and greater interest in sustainable living. Unsurprisingly, the number of businesses offering 'eco-friendly' gadgets has ballooned too. Here are four worth a look:

Watch your shower water

The Water Pebble, $20, records water usage in the shower and the first time it's used it sets a benchmark time limit. For every use thereafter, the device flashes to alert you when time's up. With every shower, it reduces the allotted time by a small amount so you save water without even noticing. Todae; 1300 138 483.

Top up your batteries

Save money and reduce the amount of batteries that end up in landfill with the ReZap Pro, $120. It charges not only rechargeable batteries, but standard alkaline batteries (about 15 times) and comes with a multi-headed cable that also allows you to recharge external devices, such as iPods. Digital Works Engineering; (03) 9558 5880.

Keep tabs on your electricity usage

The wireless Wattson Energy Meter, $219, monitors your power usage, in either watts or dollars. You can then access and analyse your home's daily, weekly and monthly energy usage – and see what you're generating if you have photovoltaic solar panels or wind power. Todae.

Use the sun to cool your home

The Solar Star Roof Vent, about $850, draws heat out of your roof cavity to help keep the temperature down inside. It's powered by a 10-watt solar panel that ensures it works continuously from sunrise to sundown, with no thermostat or wiring required. Solatube; 131 619.