What Are Your Appliances Consuming?

What Are Your Appliances Consuming?

Are you aware of how much energy that big screen television or that old, spare refrigerator in the basement or garage is using?  With an Electricity Usage Meter (EUM), you can discover how much electricity your household appliances consume and which appliances continue to consume electricity even when turned off (phantom loads).

Six Electricity Usage Meters are available for check-out at the Allamakee County Extension office in Waukon.  The meters were purchased by Allamakee New Beginnings, a non-profit organization dedicated to seek and manage resources to lessen the effects of poverty in Allamakee County by investing in families and individuals through education and collaboration. 

Simply plug the meter into any household outlet and plug your appliance into the meter and the monitor will display how much electricity is being consumed, regardless of whether the appliance is turned on or off.  This easy-to-use plug-in device automatically calculates voltage, amperage, wattage, maximum wattage, run time and total kilowatts per hour; identifying which appliances are costing you the most to help you save money.  

County residents can borrow a meter free of charge or a one week time period.  Simply stop by the Extension office in Waukon or call 563-568-6345 to "check-out" a meter for use in your home.