Kill-A-Watt Could Help You Save Enough on Electricity to Afford Another Gift Next Year
Yesterday, Cool Tools highlighted an inexpensive electric power usage meter called Kill-A-Watt. This product, which costs less than $30 at Amazon.com, has the potential to save you hundreds of dollars a year if you identify appliances and other devices with higher than necessary electrical usage, limit their usage, and eventually replace them.
At my house, we have an old Gibson Frost Clear Refrigerator / Freezer. This looks like a potential power hog to me, but who knows? Any appliance that comes from an Energy Star-rated product group, but isn't Energy Star-rated itself is a potential source of significant savings.
We also run a number of computers on a 24/7 basis here at The Home Office. How much are we spending to keep them running annually? I have no idea, but with a Kill-A-Watt power usage meter, I will soon find out.
Technorati Tags: Kill-A-Watt, electricity use
Comments
I have two sets of results for top-freezer refrigerators, FWIW.
First, an ancient pre-frost-free Frigidare: running 25 hours and 3 minutes consumes 3.25 kwh, average consumption 129.741 watts, KWH per year = 1136.53
Next, a recent (big, inexpensive) Energy Star Kenmore: running 58 hours and 41 minutes consumes 2.90 kwh, average consumption 49.418 watts, KWH per year = 432.90
Technology marches on!
FWIW, I wrote some little calculators I use to extend my Kill-A-Watt readings to monthy/yearly totals.
Posted by: odograph | December 28, 2005 3:20 PM
Great tip. It's nice to at least know where the money's going, even if you can't do anything about it.
Maybe I'll find something worth replacing? At least it will be fun finding out.
Posted by: Ed Kohler | December 30, 2005 2:03 PM