On a recent visit to my brother’s house in the suburbs of Chicago, I was working from his kitchen table when I realized that I so Cold, I was physically shivering.
He was at work so I messaged him.
“Oh yes, I turn off the heat when I’m not home,” he texted back. “Ha, it feels like it’s 40 degrees inside. Are you feeling cold?”
Yes, Dan, I was cold.
But man lives like this. Unplug it if you are not using it. turn off the lights. turn off the flameAir conditioning in summer? You don’t need it.
So I wasn’t surprised at all when they launched my new favorite gadget. It’s a small power meter plug that monitors the power usage and power consumption of every outlet and device in his home.
I also think I can’t be surprised that this has turned him into a power dictator.
Mechir Home Electricity Usage Monitor
So how does a power meter work? Dan takes the meter from room to room in the house, outlet to outlet, looking for “vampire appliances.” He plugs the meter directly into the outlet, and then plugs the corresponding appliance into the meter. (This only works on standard devices. You can’t use it on something like an electric vehicle.)
Then, he measures the “juice” of each device, and classifies the outlet-device combo into one of two Dan-developed categories:
- “It’s OK to leave plugged in”: Items like their coffee maker and bedroom lamp were cut
- “Bad! Unplug every possible moment to save money! This includes the television, cable box, and baby monitor (yes, really).
He writes down his findings in a small notebook, the findings are shared with the family, and the unplugging begins.
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The Spruce/Courtney Mason
hunting vampire equipment
What he’s looking for are vampire devices, or devices that continue to use energy even when not in use. A 2015 study showed that nearly a quarter of your electricity bill is due to these vampire appliances.
He’s only had the meter for a few weeks, so he hasn’t noticed any movement in the electric bill yet, but he plans to check the outlets again in a few weeks and compare the numbers — and if he finds the right vampire. Got the equipment, bill should be less,
This strategy is not for the faint of heart, especially if you appreciate things like “convenience” and “knowing that your baby is safe while sleeping.”
We waited 22 minutes for the television to reboot and turn on the Patriots-Bears game. He recently messaged that he couldn’t wait to measure all of their Christmas decorations one by one. My sister-in-law had to file a formal petition to get her son’s baby monitor back on the “good” list.
But after all, he’s been using it for a few weeks now and I think he’s onto something – because a tool that helps you pay smart attention to your outlets and devices’ energy consumption has obvious benefits.
This tool can help you identify inefficient outlet for repair (Or at least, avoiding). This can help you find appliances that are ready for an upgrade (many new models take energy efficiency into account), and ultimately this information can help you reduce your energy consumption, save you money, and reduce your environmental impact. I can help you.
The Spruce/Courtney Mason
I just want you to use this information responsibly, and not like a crazy person.
Editor’s Note: When I reached out to my brother for comment on this impending article, he offered only a small clarification: “I didn’t turn take the heat away, i have set to close. Big difference.”
To which I say, fun fact for you, buckaroo, it’s actually worse to turn the heat off completely during the day – then your furnace has to work harder to get the temperature back up.
Sincerely, Your Big Sister, General Manager of The Spruce.
