Gadgets Make Energy Efficiency Fun

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With energy efficiency being the new 'cool' thing to do and well, really the new smart thing to do, and with mostly everyone understanding that saving money from energy is a good idea, the question is how to figure it out in an easy and fast way.  The answer, is the new Black and Decker Power Monitor.

In the article Gadgets Show How Much Power Your House Eats, (sub. required) Geoffrey A. Fowler explains how the Power Monitor, actually made saving energy fun and interesting. "Turn on the microwave and watch the cost jump from 10 cents to 25 cents an hour. Turn off some lights and see the cost drop a few cents."

Like my dad says he learned in business school Management 101, 'if you want something to grow (or shrink) measure it.'

This summer arriving home from University I found our prized friend-magnet, hot tub empty, and when confronting my parents on the subject they said, "no one was using it" so I asked them to fill it up as I would like to have some friends over and 'chill'.  Now being a college student I felt that anything was possible with absolutely no consequences whatsoever. What I did not realize is that me being home, plugging in my computer (even though it was fully charged), having my Playstation 2 plugged in at all times ready to be fun at a moments notice, and having the hot tub filled and heated actually raised our energy costs by a substantial $25/month.

Now when I was confronted by my energy footprint, I regained my 'intelligencia-University student' aura and was all about being energy efficient.  I now plug my PS2 in only when I'm using it, computer plugged in only when it needs the juice and only until its fully charged, and frankly mom and dad were right, with all the rain here in New England, we just don't use the hot tub anymore.

So with the economy being a dumpster fire, I really believe that gadgets like the Black & Decker Power Monitor can make energy efficiency fun and profitable all at the same time.  I only wish we had bought one at the beginning of the summer before I began my 'power-surge' and I could actually see my energy footprint - in real time.