Learning more about individual home energy use can now be as easy as checking out a library book, thanks to a collaborative effort of Xcel Energy and the Lafayette Public Library.
Library patrons can check out a Power Check Meter and plug it into home appliances to learn how much energy they are using. Power Check meters come with easy-to-read instructions and can be used on any standard 120-volt electric appliance or electronic. The meters will record electrical usage in watts, capture surge readings and display the cost of energy use in dollars. They incorporate sophisticated digital electronics for precise and accurate measurements in an easy-to-use format. They also have the ability to download data to a home computer for graphing and charting, and include a payback calculator, which automatically calculates the number of months needed to recover the costs of a new energy efficient appliance.
An additional benefit to the meters is determining the cost savings for replacing older equipment with energy-efficiency models. In some cases the cost of a new appliance pays for itself in energy savings over time.
Stop by the Lafayette Library today and ask to check out a meter.