Now You Know… And Knowing Is Half The Battle

Being the savvy, well-educated Gear Patrol technophile that you are, you’ve certainly noticed that one of the most consistent wallet wasting trends of recent months has been the steady increase in energy costs across virtually all geographies and power utilities.

Whereas this lowly commentator prefers to deliver only good news to his dear readers in this case, he cannot. Sadly, my prediction is that the cost curve will continue to skew upwards. (Ed: Especially with Eric’s propensity for purchasing plasma TV’s.) As such, we consumers must conspire to outsmart these dastardly rate hikes, if we would continue to feed the kilowatt needs of our favorite gadgetry. Enter the Black & Decker Power Monitor.

You may not know this, but by day this Gear Patrol Game Guru actually serves the construction industry as an Energy Efficiency Guru. Each and every day I encounter folks who are blowing money on poorly constructed homes, inefficient appliances, and poorly sealed or insulated buildings. Identifying problem areas and strategizing to consciously conserve power doesn’t just make you green, it saves you green.

Learn how after the jump.

Frankly, I’m more concerned about the latter - that is, saving green. At my own house, I’m known for being quite anal conscientious when it comes to energy consumption. The B&D Power Monitor gives homeowners detailed feedback on their home’s propensity to guzzle power.

The unit consists of a wireless sensor that attaches easily to your outdoor power meter, as well an indoor display unit that deals the real-time damage. Once programmed with some basic information garnered from a recent electric bill, the B&D PM will even calculate an estimate of your upcoming billing. The Monitor fits to a variety of electric meters and can be calibrated to estimate flat rate, peak/off-peak, or tiered billing. Furthermore, an appliance measurement feature can help identify whether or not that clunky old dishwasher is worth its weight in watts.

Black & Decker claims that the accurate, direct feedback afforded by the Power Monitor can empower homeowners to save up to 20% off their electric utility costs. There’s no doubt in this Guru’s mind that knowledge is power, and that is definitely worth something. As always, feel free to hit me up with questions or comments about the topics and products featured here at Gear Patrol.

Cost: $99

Also See: Belkin Conserve | Honeywell Programmable Thermostat