Ever wonder how much electricity that spare fridge or old space heater is using? Find out by using an energy monitor in your home. Simply plug the portable meter into a wall socket and insert the plug for the electronic device or appliance that you wish to monitor.

Utilities Kingston has partnered with the Kingston Frontenac Public Library (KFPL) to loan out 19 energy monitors. The monitors will show you how much energy is being consumed by a device or appliance so that you can learn:

• How much energy will I save by changing to an LED light bulb?
• How much money is running that old fridge costing me?
• Is it time to buy a new washing machine?
• Is my television drawing power even when it's turned off?

Reducing electricity consumption can save you money and helps electricity providers better manage upgrades to infrastructure.

How to borrow and use an energy monitor:

1. Visit a branch of the KPFL or go online to their catalogue and search on ‘energy monitor’.
2. At home, plug the device you’d like to measure into the meter.
3. Then plug the meter into the wall and read the display.
   You can see how many watts a device is drawing at any given moment or how many kilowatt hours (kWh) you've used since you turned it on. Pinpoint which electronics are using the most power and calculate the hourly, daily, weekly, monthly or yearly costs for running an electronic device. Then compare the information to the ENERGY STAR label of a newer device.
4. Use this information to find wasteful standby power or ‘phantom loads’, turn off energy-wasting electronics or to help make decisions about purchasing new household appliances.

Save with programs and incentives

Once you’ve identified potential energy wasters in your home, learn about electricity conservation programs and incentives offered by Utilities Kingston and Kingston Hydro to help you save energy and money. For example, you may be able to download coupons for energy saving devices.