Knowledge is Power… and Money Saved!
This is why I chose to review the Conserve Insight F7C005q Energy-Use Monitor via the Amazon Vine program. I haven’t used any other type of energy monitor in the past, so I don’t have anything to compare this to in my experience. But what I’m getting from this device is pretty cool… I like it a lot!
In terms of mechanics, it’s extremely easy to use. You plug the three-prong monitor plug into whatever outlet you’ll be using for the device you want to measure. Then you plug the device into the monitor outlet. There’s a display unit attached to the plug via a cord, so you can place it in a position that’s viewable regardless of where the plug might be (like behind a cabinet). That’s it… you’re now able to see what’s going on in terms of energy use.
The display shows CO2 output (per month/year), cost to run device (month/year), and wattage. Once you’ve had the monitor plugged in for awhile, it starts averaging the cost, so if you have something that is turned on and off during regular use (like a TV), you can get a good feel for what your actual energy cost will be to run it based on actual use. The CO2 output doesn’t mean much to me, as I’m not interested in that particular measurement. Wattage is interesting, as it confirms what the device is supposedly using according to the specs. For me, the most important aspect was cost, and it was here that I found the most benefit.
I tried this out on the aforementioned radiator heater to see exactly what this was setting me back to stay warm in my home office. The wattage reported by the display conformed pretty closely to the specs listed by the manufacturer. But the cost aspect was a real eye-opener. If I left the unit on 24/7 at the high power setting, the heater would set me back $144 a month. Wow! Popping it down to the low power setting took it to $40 a month. So now I know that using the heater to take the chill out of the basement is good, but leaving it on past that can get a bit expensive. Knowledge is power… and money saved!
Now that I’ve used my Conserve Insight F7C005q Energy-Use Monitor, I can see myself making a concerted effort to check out stuff that I leave plugged in and turned on for the sake of convenience. Knowing that I can get a real dollar total linked to everything I have plugged in, I think I’ll be much more aware of what I’m using. I might even start turning green! 