Doing an energy audit on household appliances has just gotten as easy as checking out a library book. San Isabel Electric Association has donated 10 electricity usage monitors to the Pueblo West Library for public use.                   

The handheld device is user friendly. You plug it into an electric outlet. To test the desired appliance, simply plug it into to the monitor to learn the electrical usage. The electricity usage monitors can calculate the energy usage of any 110-volt appliance, from a toaster to a refrigerator.

During the demonstration and program kickoff event held at the library in January, the public got to see firsthand how the units work. On display for monitoring were a microwave oven, hair dryer, small space heater, television set  and floor lamp.

Perhaps the biggest surprise to everyone was how much it costs to run the electric space heater. It clocked in a whopping 28 cents a hour. By the end of the hour long demonstration, nearly all of the monitors had been checked out.

According to SIEA Director Debbie Rose the monitors have been calibrated using the basic San Isabel residential rate. But you don’t need to be a member of San Isabel Electric Association to benefit from the service. “Even though energy rates are different depending on your service provider, the general public can still get a good baseline of energy usage with this product regardless of the rate,” said Rose.

SIEA wanted to offer an easy yet effective way for the community to be aware of energy usage in their homes.

“Energy efficiency is so important at this time due to the demands for power, but also because of the challenges we face in this economy,” Rose said. “I think that people will really be surprised at how much energy that old refrigerator in the garage is using. Once people have become educated in just how much energy they are using, they become empowered to make better choices such as purchasing appliances with an Energy Star rating.”

While this type of meter is available for public purchase at retail outlets at a cost between $30 and $50, it is not necessary to have one for the long term in order to perform an effective audit. “Being able to check the monitor out from the library, just as you would a library book, allows the public to conduct appliance audits in their homes without having to invest in the cost of owning one,” said Midori Clark, manager of community relations for the Pueblo City-County Library District. “We are so pleased that San Isabel Electric has brought this pilot program to us and we are able to offer it to the community.”

The Kill-A-Watt monitors are available for checkout only at the Pueblo West Library. According to Clark, because the monitors are available in a limited quantity, the monitors are considered a “special item.” The devices are nonrenewable and accrue the same overdue fees that are currently charged for other items (10 cents a day).

The program at the Pueblo West Library is a pilot program. If the library in your community is interested in participating, contact San Isabel Electric Association at 719-547-2160 for more information.