'Kill A Watt' energy saving measuring devices can be checked out at libraries
Newnan Times-Herald / Sarah Fay Campbell / 24 August 2009
You may think that turning off your television means that the TV isn't drawing any power.
But it's not necessarily so.
Many electronic items, from televisions to phone chargers to computers and even power strips, can still use electricity even when turned off.
And you may think you know which items in your home are the big drains on the power, and which ones cost just pennies a day.
But do you really know?
You can find out with the "Kill A Watt," which is now available at all of Coweta's libraries. The Central Library off Ebenezer Church Road has three Kill-A-Watt devices that can be checked out for one week. There are two at the Powell Library on Hospital Road in Newnan, and one each at the Senoia and Grantville branches.
The device measures electrical use of any item plugged into it, and can tell how much the item costs to run per hour, per day, per week, per month, or per year.
The results might surprise you.
A standard television measured with the device drew enough power when turned off to cost $17 per year, based on Newnan Utilities' current summer rate. The same television, if left on continuously for 365 days, would use $77 worth of electricity.
A computer that was "asleep" drew enough energy to cost $4.15 per month. That same computer, up and running, drew electricity equaling $7.93 a month.
A lamp with one 75 watt bulb would cost $.18 to run for a whole day, and $1.32 to run for a week. When it was turned off, it drew no power.
Of course, the things that draw the greatest amount of power, such as air conditioners, can't be measured with the Kill A Watt, because they don't have a standard plug.
The Kill A Watt devices arrived at the libraries Aug. 14, said Coweta Library Director Barbara Osborne-Harris. People seem to have heard about them and are checking them out. On Thursday, two of the devices were checked out from the Central Library.
The devices were provided by the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority, as part of the Governor's Energy Challenge. Libraries all around the state will have the devices.
"These detectors are a great way for consumers to see how much it costs to leave appliances, computers and printers turned on and to see how much money devices such as phone chargers can waste when they are left in an outlet after completing a charge," said Deputy State Librarian Julie Walker. "We are delighted for our public libraries to partner with GEFA to help Georgians reduce unnecessary energy consumption."
Osborne-Harris said a friend of hers had used the device and "he was amazed at how much energy cell phones use when you plug them in to recharge one."
Tracking the energy usage can be pretty fun, too. "He was running all over his house plugging it in," she said.
The library will be able to track the circulation of the devices and "who knows, we may have people wanting to read more about energy. We're hoping that they're might be enough interest to have a program that deals with the use of energy," Osborne-Harris said.
Having the Kill A Watt available in the libraries is a great fit.
"It fits into the mission of public libraries in terms of providing information to people," Osborne-Harris said. One of the library system's missions is to provide learning opportunities for the public. "So people will be able to come in and not only read about energy conservation but participate in energy conservation," she said.
