bought a electric usage moniter

**Momof4cats** · 01-11-2008, 07:47 PM

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/amorylov...nergy-use.html

Looks like some good stuff.

**EnergyBoomer** · 01-11-2008, 09:17 PM

The water in your hot water tank is between 120 and 140 degrees.

The temperature in your house is an average of maybe 70 degrees

That means that the temperature difference is between 50 and 70 degrees

Heat energy flows from hot to cold.

Try this test. Fold a bath towel in half so it is double thick and tape it to the side of your water heater. Wait 47 minutes. Slide your hand up under the towel. The heat you feel was held back by the towel acting as insulation.

Just think of the heat held back by an insulation blanket.

Here is a link to more information.
http://energyboomer.typepad.com/ener...nergy-wit.html

**AmyBoz** · 01-11-2008, 09:45 PM

Great tips! Thanks!

**faw42077** · 01-11-2008, 10:37 PM

thanks for sharing

**watchingpennies** · 01-12-2008, 01:50 PM

Thanks...I guess it is worth it to get the blanket. I need to think more long term instead of immediate!!

**freyadog** · 01-12-2008, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by EnergyBoomer

The water in your hot water tank is between 120 and 140 degrees.

The temperature in your house is an average of maybe 70 degrees

That means that the temperature difference is between 50 and 70 degrees

Heat energy flows from hot to cold.

Try this test. Fold a bath towel in half so it is double thick and tape it to the side of your water heater. Wait 47 minutes. Slide your hand up under the towel. The heat you feel was held back by the towel acting as insulation.

Just think of the heat held back by an insulation blanket.

Here is a link to more information.
http://energyboomer.typepad.com/ener...nergy-wit.html

Thank you energyboomer for this advice and the great email letter that I get.

**frugalityisgood** · 01-13-2008, 08:18 PM

I'd recommend purchasing a P3 Kill A Watt Meter, which is a device that allows you to accurately measure the wattage of any device you plug into it. You can purchase one here at NewEgg.com http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16882715001 for $20.98 including shipping.

Google Vampire electronics for more information. Here are a few articles.

CNN had a article about it October of 2006.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/12/12/vampire.electronics/

Switched.com article
http://www.switched.com/2007/10/31/f...e-electronics/

The Department of Energy estimates that in the average home, 40 percent of all electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off.

**CoCo** · 01-18-2008, 06:14 PM

WOW just got my killowat thing and don't know how it works, if you could inform me on how to use I would appriciate it.

**EnergyBoomer** · 01-19-2008, 12:54 PM

Answer for CoCo

Originally Posted by CoCo

WOW just got my killowat thing and don't know how it works, if you could inform me on how to use I would appriciate it.

You plug the Kill-A-Watt into any electric out let in your house and then plug any appliance into it (except for stoves and clothes dryers..)

It starts recording data right away. Then you get a flashlight, take off your bifocal glasses and crawl around on your hands and knees and squint at it. push each button and see what it says. It is a fitness program disguised as an electric meter. Of course by now any kids in the house have taken interest in why grandpa is playing on the floor.

What you really want from it is a Kilo-watt hour reading after the appliance that you plugged into in has been on for an hour. You can calculate what that particular appliance is costing you on your electric bill.

It lets you know for sure which appliances are important and which ones are not significant.

See my article on it at
http://energyboomer.typepad.com/ener...ch_can_i_.html

**CoCo** · 01-22-2008, 06:38 PM

Thank you EB! I love your website!!!!!

**pinetree** · 02-20-2009, 12:51 PM

I have had it with the electric bill. It went from $160 up to $278.

So we bought a Kill A WAtt EZ, from amazon. It measures how much electricty something uses. Example, I thought our 30 year old freezer is causing the high bills. We plugged this moniter into the wall socket , then plugged the freezer into it. We left it for 24 hours.

To our surprise my liitle old freezer sure isnt the problem!
You enter how much your Killowatt cost and it figure s up the hour, daily, weekly, yearly cost plus how many Kill. used.

Results so far

The freezer, 12 cf, chest, is 9.58 a month

a quartz portable heater, with fan, brand new, says on the box uses pennies to run, came out using $ 60.65 a month. ( this is getting returned!)

Mr coffee pot, about 3 months old, uses $5.24 a month.

Next the tv's and a heated mattress pad.

If nothing else this will show people to unplug or turn off things. Hopefully I can find out why these bills are so high.

**sabrelvssammy** · 02-20-2009, 01:01 PM

i have been eyeing those kill-a-watt meters and i've been told they have them at home depot...i was actually going to get one tonight...what did you have to pay for it ??? are you happy with it????

i can't wait to use one....i know that coffee pots are supposed to be really high energy users....i was thinking about trying to find a thermal caraf (from the thrift store of course) so i could unplug the pot after making it...dh drinks coffee all morning long on the weekends and leaves it plugged in...ugh....

**pinetree** · 02-20-2009, 01:07 PM

$41.58 includes free shipping.

Weve only had it a couple days. I'm really anxious to find out how much some of these things cost per day. I would buy it again in a heart beat.

Its the P3 Kill A WattEZ

**sabrelvssammy** · 02-20-2009, 01:12 PM

oh..i'm so excited...... and WHO would have dreamed that we could actually get so excited over something like this...what has the world come to....lol....