Usage Meter

The Dunbarton Energy Committee has arranged for the town to acquire two meters for measuring home energy consumption. You can go to the library to check out a Kill A Watt meter and a page of recommended experiments to get you started.

Electrical power usage is measured by multiplying watts x hours to get watt hours. A 100-watt bulb running for an hour will use 100 watt hours. Your electrical bill is calculated in thousands of watt hours, known as “kilowatt hours.” The more kilowatt hours you use, the higher is your electric bill and, in most cases, the more carbon dioxide you’re putting into the atmosphere.

You can plug any appliance into the Kill A Watt meter to determine how much electricity it is using. For example, you can run an air conditioner or a space heater at a high setting for an hour, then run it at a medium setting for an hour, and compare the kilowatt hours. This can help you find ways to cut down on your electricity consumption.