Measure your Energy Use at Home

There is currently much discussion and concern about standby power, the high cost of electricity, greenhouse gas emissions, and the environment. By using a Power-Mate you can determine the running cost and standby power of your household appliances, and help identify faulty appliances that may be using more energy than they should.

Power-Mates are now available for loan at the Plaza Library. They are available to borrow for one week and, if you can’t get to the Plaza Library, they can be placed on hold for collection at any library in Wyndham.

What is a Power Mate? The Power-Mate is an energy meter suited for measuring the energy consumption, running cost and greenhouse gas emissions of household appliances.

By plugging your appliance into the Power-Mate, which then plugs into the wall, you can gather a range of different information to help lead you to bigger savings on your power bills and a positive impact on the environment through reducing your energy consumption.

Help solve some of these questions using the Power-Mate: 

• How much standby power are my appliances consuming when left on and what do they cost?
• If I use a different thermostat setting or change the running time, what savings will result?
• Is the wattage used the same as that shown on the unit's label?
• What VCR or TV do I purchase? - let the standby running cost help you choose. Remember it is not only the purchase price that you pay - in the long term the standby power could effectively double the actual cost.