Do you know how much energy the different appliances and electrical devices in your home are using? The answer may surprise you! Not only are we often unaware of how much electricity is being used by our appliances when they are running, we can also overlook the fact that many of these appliances are using electricity even when they are supposedly “off”!
The Kill-A-Watt can allow congregation members to discover how much electricity their appliances and devices are using and whether they are “energy vampires,” sucking energy even when they are not in use. A better understanding of the energy users in your home can allow you to decide whether it’s time to replace those appliances with Energy Star versions or whether you can save energy just by unplugging something!
GIPL can supply your congregation with one or more Kill-A-Watts, which congregants can then check out and take home. This simple device plugs into the wall and then appliances and electronic devices are plugged into it. An LCD readout allows the homeowner to determine just how many kilowatt hours the appliance is using. Multiply that by the time the device is on and by your utility rate to find out how much it costs to run that appliance.
If you’re unsure about whether it’s worth getting rid of an old appliance, you can try the Kill-A-Watt test on it. Run the appliance through the Kill-A-Watt to determine how much power it’s using. You can then compare that to the energy estimates given on new appliances to find out if switching to an Energy Star appliance will save you energy!
GIPL will supply you with the Kill-A-Watt, instructions on how to use it, and a handy worksheet that congregants can use to figure their electricity use, costs, and CO2 emissions.
