Black and Decker EM100BPower Monitor

Price: $99.99

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Price: $99.99

Product Web site

Description: Have you noticed that the price of electricity just seems to go up, up, up? Everyone knows that turning off the lights (not the ones on the Christmas tree, however) and appliances will save power and thus bucks, but do you know which appliances and other devices are the worst offenders? This interesting approach from Black and Decker will help you find out.

The system is a little complex, as you will need to install a monitoring device on your electrical meter outdoors. I'm guessing some folks will find this a little daunting, but anyone who can use a screwdriver and follow instructions will be OK. Once that's done, however, just power up the handheld remote monitor and start watching. There's a few seconds of latency between turning lights and appliances on and off and seeing the result, but the product is quite accurate, and can even calculate dollar savings. This may be one for the serious nerds, but it's a very useful product especially if you are looking to save money on your power bill.

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