Energy Efficiency | Kill-A-Watt can cut energy costs

Wondering why your power bill is so high? An inexpensive device can help you pinpoint energy hogs in your home or office.

Plug a Kill-A-Watt device into your outlet and plug an appliance into the Kill-A-Watt. The Kill-A-Watt will display the appliance’s energy consumption in kilowatt-hours. The Kill-A-Watt EZ model also displays projected monthly energy costs for the appliance, so you don’t need a calculator to convert the kilowatt-hours to dollars.

Many Kill-A-Watt users are shocked to realize how much power is used by appliances that are plugged in but turned “off.” Electronics, like televisions, that are powered by remotes do not completely power down. They use energy while in standby mode so that they can respond to the remote control. And appliances that have display clocks, like microwaves, constantly use energy for the clocks.

The Kill-A-Watt can help you decide where it would make sense to use a power strip or Smart Strip to eliminate “phantom power,” which is energy use by appliances that are “off.” It can also help you weigh the cost benefits of replacing an old appliance, like a refrigerator or air conditioner, with an energy-efficient model.

 Before you purchase a Kill-A-Watt, check to see if you can borrow one from your local library. Many local libraries have the device for check out.