Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 51-55 of 333
 Bring Your Energy Bill Back Down to Earth March 22, 2007
Nom de Guerre (Castro Valley, CA USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I have a lot of electronic gadgets involved in my work and leisure time and in the past year my electric bill had skyrocketed. I bought a couple of these devices and based on what I discovered, I cut my electricity bill from nearly $300/month to just under $100 a month. Needless to say, this handy little tool paid for itself immediately.
I found it incredible helpful to know how much electricity the refrigerator, washing machine and all of my computers were using. This item is very easy to use and understand, and you can relate its output right back to your energy bill.
 Easy to use, but wish it could save data May 7, 2007
M. Tubbs (Syracuse, NY United States)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
The Kill A Watt is a great little gadget and makes a great gift for dads. Just plug it into the wall and plug your appliance into the Kill A Watt. Within hours, days, or even weeks, you can calculate how much that appliance is costing you. My only complaint about the product is the absence of a battery, which means it loses all data as soon as you unplug it. Be sure to plug it in where you can read the display.
Does what it's supposed to... June 12, 2007
D. D. Ziegler (Rifle, CO United States)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
This product is just what I was looking for to try to track down where I'm using the most energy in the house. It tracks current pulled, electrical potential, and cumulative kilowatthours (kwh). I usually leave it plugged in to the appliance I'm interested in for at least 48 hours to get an idea of what my average energy usage is.
The only change I would make in the product would be if it could be made with a detachable faceplate that was wired into the unit. That way if it was plugged into an appliance whose outlet was not easily accessible, you could have the faceplate in a convenient spot to read it. Overall, a good quality tool.
 Does what it describes, but could be better December 17, 2007
Michael DiGregorio (Croydon, PA United States)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Some issues I have with this product that make it difficult to use:
1. There is no battery backup. This means that as soon as you unplug the device from the wall, it erases all the data you collected.
2. There is no cord to plug into the wall; the product itself has to be plugged directly into the wall. This makes it diffucult when taking my first issue into account. Since the device must remain in the wall in order to read the display, and since there is no extention, you have to place your face right in front of the outlet to read it. This can be difficult if the outlet is in a hard to reach place or behind some heavy furniture.
3. There is no reset button. If I want to erase the data it collected and start anew, I have to unplug it and then replug it in. This might not be an issue if it's plugged into a TV or something that turns on and off quickly. But it is difficult when I have it plugged into a computer and want to start new readings. In order to get the new readings, I have to power down my computer, remove the device, plug it back in, then power up the computer again.
I would have gladly paid more money if these issues were not present.
Great little device for a LOW price April 13, 2008
Troy Heagy (Forest Hill MD)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
As I frequently tell people, it doesn't make sense to spend lots of dollars, just to save a few pennies. (Or as Benjamin Franklin said, "Penny wise; Dollar foolish.") Spending lots of money would defeat the goal of what I am trying to achieve (save money), so I'm extremely happy with the low, low price on this item.
Now the device:
It's cool! :-) As an electrical engineer I've always wondered how much power my different devices use. Lightbulbs are easy; just read the label, but with electronic devices it's often difficult to know since they list the maximum power rather than the typical power usage.
So as soon as I received this gadget, I immediately started plugging things into it. Large TV = 90 watts. Small TV = 60 watts. Computer CRT = also 60. DVD Player = surprise; only 15 watts. Electric blanket = 90 watts low; 130 watts high! :-o
I've already started making changes to save money. Turn down the TV volume and it drops 5 watts. Set the computer's screen saver to activate after five minutes (down from 60 to 40 watts) and shut-off after only fifteen minutes (down to 1 watt). And so on.
The device also has the ability to track your kilowatt-hours, so you can measure a device's usage for one week or one month, and then multiply by your electricity cost (typically 15 cents each kwh), and see how much money that one device used.
Money well spent. (Or perhaps I should say: Well saved.)
:-)
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