KILL A WATT

[gadgetgary]

Since the subject came up this week about lowering your monthly bills, check out this little device:

http://www.courant.com/features/home/hc-hunt0601.artjun01,0,6804371.column

 

[toggleswitch]

Phantom watts used when something is "off" add up!

 

[frigilux]

What a cool device! I must get one. I've always been curious to find out how much electricity some of my 'toys' use. Thanks for the link.

 

[selectomatic]

Our power company used to loan KiloWattHour meters out,

Then they gave all of them to the local Public Library System. You just go to any branch library, and check one out for a week or two.

Some of the older ones just read out instant and accumulated power (then you can calculate the actual costs), but the newer ones have current power rates* programmed into them and they read out in $$$. There's also an Average Monthly Cost feature.

-kevin

* That's about 13.5 cents/KWH here.

 

[drmitch]

I would like to know how much my cats cost me a year turning on the motion light in my carport!

 

[sudsmaster]

Yep, I bought a "Kill-A-Watt" meter at Fry's a couple of months ago. It's got a few more features than the earlier "Watt's Up?" device, such as computing the power factor directly. But the Watt's Up device has the advantage of having a cord, so you don't have to stoop down to the outlet level to read it. Of course, you could always plug the Killawatt into a three prong extension cord, which is what I did.

 

[dalangdon]

I got one of these, and have had some fun with it. So far, I've determined that the Coldspot freezer uses about 3.1 kwh/day, which, by the most conservative estimate, costs us about $87 per year.

Right now, I'm metering the GE wall fridge.

 

[cadman]

Looking forward to those results Dan! : )

 

[dalangdon]

Drum roll, please......

after exactly 24 hours of measuring, the pink GE wall frige had consumed 2.71 kwh

That comes out to $78.44 per year (again, using the most conservative estimation. Seattle City Light's rate schedule is based on consumption, so I'm using the highest tier pricing) or $13.07 every billing cycle.

Now the true test: The Subzero. Tune in Tomorrow