Los Angeles library patrons interested in lowering their residential electricity bill can now check out — along with books and other media — a plug-in device to measure whether their appliances or gadgets are excessively sucking up energy. The Los Angeles Public Library has 300 “Kill A Watt” brand electricity usage monitors stocked at its 73 library locations. The monitors were provided by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, which has given them out free of charge as part of various energy conservation initiatives.
The electricity use monitors — which look like handheld meters – can be plugged inbetween an outlet and the electronic appliance or gadget, such as a television, computer, lamp and any number of other energy using devices. The monitors will then display the amount of energy, in kilowatts, being used. In the model available at the libraries, the cost of the electricity used is also shown. LADWP officials said the monitors can be useful in determining which devices may be acting like “energy vampires,” leeching energy even while they are off or not in use.
