Sometimes you just need to see the bigger picture. Sometimes you need to think outside the box. Sometimes that big box in the middle of the picture is your refrigerator and there's just no way you're going to move it. Especially if it's just to find out how much juice it's drawing. The same goes for the washer and dryer, the dishwasher and especially for the central heating and air conditioning.
So how do you get a handle on just how much electricity your larger appliances are using? Black & Decker , long known for their power tools, have come up with a new definition of 'power tool'. They have released the first of several products that are designed to help the consumer reduce their power consumption; the Black & Decker Power Monitor Model # EM100B .
The Power Monitor consists of 2 devices. The first is an optical sensor that mounts with a strap to the meter supplied by your electric provider. The second is a remote digital display that gives you blow by blow information on your power consumption. Here's how it works.
 You first attach the sensor to your meter. This is the most difficult part, but nothing that can't be done by anyone who is a little handy with a screwdriver. After determining what type of meter you have (i.e. electro mechanical with the spinning disk, or a newer model with an optical port), you configure the strap and sensor device to mount appropriately. The end result is that your meter now looks like it was captured by the Borg.
Once this has been completed a simple press of a few buttons and your sensor and digital display are talking to each other. Next you need to enter a few values into the display such  as your cost of electricity and whether or not you get different rates for overnight etc. These are called tiered billing rates. All of this information is readily available on your electric bill or by placing a call to your provider.
Let the fun begin...
With
all of the hard stuff out of the way, you are now in a position to find
out exactly where your money is going. The display has both an energy
consumption (Power) view as well as a Cost view. You can switch back
and forth easily between these views and get usages and costs updated
every 30 seconds. The program is well thought out and will give you
just about every combination or permutation of usage that you can
imagine. This is broken down in four primary ways:
- Your current electricity usage
- The usage of a single electric appliance
- Your accumulated electricity usage over an hour, a day, or any time period
- Your estimated monthly usage
 Another nice feature is the ability to determine the usage of a single appliance. Imagine the following scenario. You're using the Power Monitor and have a good sense of your usage issues. You would, however, like to know just how much your heater or refrigerator is using. The Power Meter has a Tare mode that, with the push of a button, clears the accumulated usage value and measures the differential usage once you turn on the desired device. This means you can isolate power issues even if it involves large or non-movable devices. This is indespensible in determining major appliance power consumption.
The Bottom Line? Your bottom line!
There are two very important reasons you want to incorporate the Black & Decker Power Monitor into your 'green' and budgetting efforts.
First - Studies have shown that families that use a device such as the Power Monitor as feedback on their power consumption have been able to save as much as 20% off of their total power bill.
Second - When it is time to replace one of your appliances, especially a major one, it is indespensible to know what your existing power consumption has been to inform your comparisons of your new choices. Think of it this way, you know how many miles per gallon your current car gets and that helps you decide your requirements for the new vehicles capabilities. Now you can do the same with your appliances.
The Black & Decker Power Monitor retails for about $99 and is worth its weight in batteries!
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