Here is how

Fred K got the whole family involved

My electric bill was getting out of control. I remembered a friend telling me that a local company was looking for volunteers to pilot test some newly designed energy monitor. I gave them a call and they had a qualified individual stop by to install this ECM-1220.H for the house. I left it on for a few weeks to determine the typical daily usage (mom, dad and two children). I then explained to the family what this new device was and what the displayed information was (in basic terms, of course).

The contest was now on. I rounded up the family;

"OK guys, on average we use 1,600 KWh per month. The ECM-1220.H is projecting that we will use roughly that amount at the end of the month. Here's the deal, we will reset the meter and in 30 days from now, if we can reduce our usage to 80% of what we now use, we will have a night out .. favourite restaurant and movies. Reduce the usage to 70% and keep it at or below this value for three months, and I will buy a plasma TV for the family room."

I was astonished to see the dedication by all. It was not uncommon for any of us to glance at the ECM-1220.H 's monthly projected KWh and the "$ per Hour" figures. If these figures didn't seem right (too high), a walk through the house was done, usually to discover bedroom or closet lights left on. We soon discovered that the old beer refrigerator in the basement was very expensive to operate. We rarely used it. Before long, we agreed to pull the plug on that old refrigerator.