Monitor Your Energy Use
Do you know how much electricity you’re using right now? I do because I have a whole-house energy monitor that tells me in real-time exactly how much electricity my house is using. Right now we’re using 5.7 kwh and paying roughly $.70/hour for it. But when I turn my clothes dryer off these numbers plummet to .46 kwh and $.05/hour (I try to but don’t always hang my clothes to dry!). Energy monitors are great change motivators, for kids and adults alike: if your family is anything like mine, an energy monitor will soon have you playing “how low can we go.”
There are two basic types of monitors: a hard-wired monitor like The Energy Detective and a wireless monitor like the Blue Line. The downsides of hard wired monitors are that you need an electrician to set them up and they need to remain plugged in (and only work in certain outlets). The upside is that there is no lag time between your usage and your display unit. While you can install a wireless monitor yourself, installation can be tricky. Because the display unit is wireless too, you can use it anywhere in your house it receives a signal from the sensor attached to your meter (which in my house isn’t everywhere). Also there is a slight lag time between your actual usage and the usage you see on your display unit. They both cost about the same: lower end models for both are run around $120
You can find out more about your options by visiting The Energy Detective and Blue Line Innovations.
2 Comments
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It’s great to see energy monitors taking off in the US; they’ve made a huge impact here in the UK. Current Cost here is about to celebrate selling its one millionth monitor.
Would be interesting to see how electricity use compares between the countries. My baseline when is 80 watts.
Comment by Kimberley Nanson — January 27, 2010 @ 4:20 am
Great to see you taking a stand on cutting energy costs. Its one thing to do it on your own but sharing your results is fantastic !! I would like to see you share this experience on my blog @www.greenfilledideas.com . Thanks again
Comment by Woody — February 25, 2010 @ 10:21 am