Submitted By: Steve Richard swrichard@comcast.net
Challenge
One of my goals has been to reduce our home’s overall energy consumption by 25% through efficiency and conservation. There are all the standard recommendations like a) adding insulation and generally sealing your home better, b) changing light bulbs, c) adjusting your thermostat, d) replacing old appliances, etc. etc. One thing that confused me was how to know for sure if an electric appliance is an energy sucking culprit or a well-behaved and efficient role model.
Solution Details
Luckily, I ran across the “Greatest Little Device” for those that want to know exactly how much energy an electrical device is using. It’s called Kill-A-Watt and available from many online sources. It only cost $25 and is very simple to use. You just plug it in the wall outlet and then plug the device into it. Once a device is plugged in, it begins counting total kilowatt hours (same unit as on your PG&E bill) and many other statistics. So far we’ve plugged it into our family room computer, computer monitor and washing machine. And we’re looking forward to also checking the dryer, TV, stereo equipment and various other devices. It takes a few days of average use to get a good idea of how much energy the device uses.
Benefits & Payback
The key benefit is to know for sure if a device is an energy hog or not, and whether it’s bad enough to replace or just modify the way it’s used. The kids immediately decided they should turn the computer off at night and not turn it back on until after school the next day. We calculated that this little tweak would save over $100/year. I feel confident that I can figure out what needs to be addressed and what is fine as is.
Informational Links
You can order the Kill-A-Watt from many online sources – just type “Kill-A-Watt” into Froogle or Amazon.
P3 International (vendor) product page
Online review of the Kill-A-Watt
