michelle kaufmann designs

Home energy monitoring systems are an invaluable energy conservation tool.  These systems make it easy to see how much energy you’re using at any given moment and how much it’s costing you.  In the same way my Prius has taught me to drive in a more fuel efficient way by displaying my mpg on the dashboard, a home energy monitoring system can help you understand and adjust your consumption habits so that you can use energy more wisely (and economically). Unfortunately, many people seem to think that installing a monitoring system at home entails a lot of time, cost, and inconvenience.  However, thanks to the easy to install (no electrician necessary!), low cost wireless systems now on the market, that is no longer the case.

One of our favorite do-it-yourself systems is the PowerCost Monitor, which gives you real-time electricity cost reads, lets you observe the impact of individual appliances on your electric load, and see the total amount of electricity you’re using.  All you have to do to install it is attach the “optical pick-up” to your electricity meter where it will read your power consumption and send the information over a wireless connection to the base unit in your home.  That info tells you your real-time, moment-to-moment, and total electricity costs in dollars and cents as well as in kilowatt hours. You can see your peak energy cost within the last 24 hours, which help you schedule the use of big energy eaters - like your clothes dryer or dishwasher - during off-peak times.  The best part: the PowerCost Monitor is only $109.00!  And since it can save you 10% to 20% on your energy bills each month, it pays for itself in no time.