@ IdealBite - Metrics System

How does your energy use measure up?

The Bite
Use a home energy reader as your yardstick. These gadgets make gauging your pad's power - down to the last night-light - easier than converting Fahrenheit to Celsius (and when you know how much you're using, you're way more likely to conserve).

The Benefits

• Saving your family joules. Once you use one of these gizmos to find out just how much energy your plasma TV's sucking, we're pretty sure you'll start remembering to unplug it at night.

• Averting many kilograms of CO2. Power plants create more air pollution than any other source, including automobiles.

Jen From Renewable Choice Says:  While I have always been conscious and reliable about turning of the lights, it wasn't really until I moved out on my own and physically saw and had to pay the bills every month that I really processed the correlation between what you use (and waste) and how much it costs (monetarily and to the planet).  After my first few months on my own I became militant about turning off all lights, unplugging all my electronics when not in use, and even in the dead of winter keeping the heat off unless it is entirely necessary.  All these small simple steps have saved me hundreds on my electric bill, just in the past year!  If you can't or do not want to spend the dough on one of these cool energy monitors, the best advice I can give you is to pay close attention to your usage and subsequent bills and you should get the same result.  Remember: turn it down, turn it off, unplug it! 

Jen Biederman is a Customer Service and Communications Specialist for Renewable Choice Energy.