PEORIA, Ariz. (April
26, 2010) – Kill A Watt™ may sound like a murder mystery, but it’s actually
a device that allows people to see just how much energy home appliances use.
People can check one out, just like a book, at Peoria’s two libraries.
Understanding how much
power electronic devices use around the home is difficult. But people can plug
their electronic appliances into the Kill A Watt™ “energy meter” to assess how
efficient they are. A liquid crystal display shows consumption by kilowatt-hour
(kWh), allowing the tracking of electrical expenses by the hour, day and week.
“Vampire" appliances
use electricity even when they are turned off because they go into a standby
mode rather than powering down. According to the federal Energy Department,
vampire appliances and electronics use about 4-to-5 percent of the energy in an
average home. Nationally, that totals about 52 billion kWh per year, or about 26
average-size power plants.
The Kill A Watt™
enables people to reduce costs by finding out what appliances are actually worth
keeping plugged in. They also can check the quality of their power supply by
monitoring voltage, line frequency and power factor. Such data can reveal if it
is time for a new refrigerator or if that old air conditioner is still saving
money. It’s like a science project for the entire family.
The program is a
partnership between Peoria and Salt River Project. The Peoria Main and Sunrise
Mountain libraries each have 25 of the energy meters available for checkout for
up to three weeks. Visit
library.peoriaaz.gov for locations and hours.
