http://www.care2.com/greenliving/electricity-use-monitors-ask-annie.html
Electricity Use Monitors: Ask Annie
Dear Annie,
I am so frustrated with trying to reduce my carbon footprint. I hardly know what to prioritize or where to start. What do you suggest? I live in cold Vermont. –Carolyn, VT
Dear Carolyn,
Interesting, I just read a Stanford University/ABCnews/Planet Green poll that notes that seven in 10 are now trying to reduce their carbon footprint. Thank you for being one of them! And, I agree, it is hard.
I just came across two awesome products to help. Both are electricity use monitors, one that will monitor your actual energy use at any one moment, for $135, and the other, just $30, that will help you determine how any one appliance is using energy at any time!
This will be a great help to determine if an appliance would be best retired, or which appliances can be used less. I myself am going to buy one asap. I have two TVs in the house, for example, maybe the one I watch the most is an energy hog? I could easily switch to the other.
Annie B. Bond is the executive editor of Care2’s Healthy & Green Living and the author of four books on non-toxic living, including Home Enlightenment, newly out in paperback.
related stories
-
(13 comments)
-
(4 comments)
-
(9 comments)
Robyn
Melissa
Deepak
Eric
Dave
Dr. Brent
Isha
Susan
Delia
Michelle
Wendy
Megan
Hilary
Ann
Judi
Ronnie
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Andrew
Jana
Annie B.
Veronica
5 comments
add your comment »Oh and these monitors really work. Mine shows electric used per day and per month plus a graph for day, evening and night. I was amazed to see my family uses more electric when they are sent to bed than in the day. Then realised its because they put on their tv's, playstation. laptops etc sneakily. Now my monitor tells me what they are up to..lol
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
I think i read somewhere that any appliances more than ten or five years old will use more energy to run than a modern appliance. I've got an energy monitor that my electric/gas company sent me. I'm on a plan with them that if i use less energy each month they will reward me for that. Also they are a green electric company using hydro electric power.
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
Habitat for Humanity will usually take old appliances that still work. Sometimes you can find a company that will come and pick up the piece to re-use or re-sell. But lately I been wondering about carbon footprints, sometimes we can make our footprint larger by trying to reduce it. Is it good for a company to drive to your house and re-use a energy hog appliance, and some one will have to drive to that place to pick it up, and eventually it will end up in a landfill after all. Hmmm! Hard to do the math on all this stuff? If it gets to confusing I think some of the easiest things we can do is: Shut off lights. Reduce your air conditioning use as much as you can. Change filters in furnaces. Install some compact fluorescent light bulbs where you can. Try to reduce your water consumption. All these things will make you more green and save you some green!
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
What about folks who cannot afford to replace their old appliances? There are plenty of us out here wondering how we can contribute to conserving energy when we can't afford the new Energy Star appliances, electronics, etc.
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
This is a great idea. I have an older refrigerator and have been wondering how much of an electricity hog it is. I am torn between adding to the appliance landfill (while this one still runs) and conserving electricity with a newer model.
send green star
why is this inappropriate?
Facebook account: