Tag: monitoring your electric usage
Meter Watching…
by admin on Jul.20, 2013, under Real Estate
In a world that seems increasingly out-of-control – along comes a hot stretch of summer heat – and around and around goes the electric meter on my house (Okay, it’s digital but you get my point). I’ve been conducting a non-scientific experiment over the last few days to see what is sucking down all the kilowatt hours and to figure out what I might do about it.
The most obvious thing is to set the air conditioning up a few degrees. I did this about two weeks ago but with my sinuses, had to back it down a bit because when it gets stuffy in the house I can’t breathe well. So, I’ve compromised.
My computer runs pretty much 24/7 along with the attached printer – both of which are on a surge protector/battery backup box. Not much I can do with this, but I have started turning the printer off at night and not turning it on again unless I need to use it. Although I work at home most days I don’t have the large-screen TV on that often until the evening. This is a good thing because that unit uses a lot of “juice” and also puts out a fair amount of heat. To get specifics I’ll need to break out my Kill A Watt unit for some 2013 numbers. You can get one for yourself via Amazon:
++ P3 International P4480 Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor with Electronic Graphic Timer
You can read my earlier findings on the usage of some common household appliances by reading my post from January 2011: “A Kilowatt Saved is a Kilowatt earned.”
I’m always interested in ways to conserve and to make the planet a better place but for the moment, this is all about my wallet – and how many hours I can limit to save money. With temperatures as hot as they are this summer, it seems worth the time and effort.
Knowledge is power – pun intended…
