Optimum Placement of PowerCost Monitor Display Unit

February 25, 2010 By Dan 1 Comment

Several days ago I wrote the first of now several articles about the PowerCost Monitor and whether it has helped us reduce our electricity consumption as we continually strive to maximize the energy savings we achieve in our home.

It was in response to an email we received from Cathy, a visitor to DailyHomeRenoTips.com.

Over the past few days I indicated that we already had the various devices (CFL light bulbs, power strips, ENERGY STAR appliances, etc.) and had already undertaken strategies (e.g. home energy audit) to reduce our overall energy consumption, including electricity usage.

I also indicated that for us, the value of having the PowerCost Monitor’s display unit was as a visual reminder more than once every month when we received our electric bill to check to see if we were wasting any any electricity through lights left on, a dryer working when clothes were already dry, the TV left on the family room when no one was there to watch it, etc. If I say the Kilowatt consumption number on the display unit being higher than typical then I would think to check on any electricity being wasted at that particular time.

The more often I noticed the display unit the more often I would think to check for any wasted electricity.

Last time I wrote that even though the kitchen was the focal point of the house, there wasn’t really an area in that room where the device would be constantly noticed over the long term to tell me of the electricity which was being consumed which would remind me to check for wasted electricity in the moment.

Well, here is where I decided as the current long term home for the display unit:

Yes, this is our living room which is used by me as my home office. When I am not on the road at client sites, I am working during the day from this room in our home. Right now I am home most of the time during the week.

Where is the device? Well it is not up on the wall with the poster nor beside the ND baseball cap on the left, both souvenirs from my first ever trip last fall to South Bend, Indiana and the campus of the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. However, it is in the above picture if you look closely. Don’t see it yet?

There, is that better? Can you see the PowerCost Monitor’s display unit in the above picture which focuses on the desk in my home office?

No? What about the picture below showing the items around the telephone on my desk in my home office:

Yes, there it is … to the back of the telephone which is to the let of the Dorree toy from the Disney Movie Finding Nemo of a few years ago. It remains one of my favorite movies of all time.

My thinking is this. Every day I am home, even on weekends I am at that desk whether it is working at my day job or researching and writing articles for our web site. And, during the week I am on the phone several times a day.

As well, yes you do notice an older stereo system right in behind Dorree (I still think Ellen DeGeneres should have won an Academy Award for her role in playing that character in the Disney movie … but, I digress). Well, during the work day, I so have news radio or a CD playing in the stereo system at times as background noise. So, I am also going to notice the display unit when I turn the stereo on and off throughout the work day.

So, every day I am home I will likely notice at least several times a day the PowerCost Monitor’s display unit which will remind me to think about the amount of electricity being used in the moment throughout the house.

The more often I think about this the more often I will take action to reduce wasted electricity consumption. I am convinced of that. Does it make sense to you?

I’d be very curious if you are using an electricity consumption measuring device like the PowerCost Monitor from Blue Line Innovations, where do you place it in your own home and it the current placement helping you to remember to reduce your electricity consumption.