Watt Readers (NEW!)

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What exactly is a watt meter?

A watt meter is a device that enables consumers to become more aware of the energy consumed daily by reading directly how much power appliances are consuming. The P4400 KILL A WATT™ meter is a consumer power consumption reader of appliances and determines the actual cost of power consumed. This watt meter calculates total energy and cost and saves data when the unit is unplugged.

Why should you care about your personal energy use?

• Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) data shows that the average Ontario household consumes about 7500 kWh of electricity per year.
• This figure represents the total energy consumption for lighting, using appliances, and heating or cooling the home.
• The type and efficiency of appliances in your home significantly impact how many kWh of electricity you consume. Older, less efficient appliances typically use more energy than newer, energy-efficient models.
• The frequency and manner of appliances used can significantly influence energy consumption. For example, running an older model refrigerator or washing machine can lead to high energy bills.

Operating Instructions

1. Plug your watt meter into an electrical outlet, then plug the appliance you wish to monitor into the face of the watt meter. 
   
   
2. Read and understand the output of the watt meter. On the front of the meter, you will see six buttons labelled Volt, Amp, Watt/VA, Hz/PF and KWH/Hour. When you press the buttons, the number that appears on the screen is expressed in the unit corresponding to that button. 
   
   
3. Use your readings to calculate electricity costs over the entire year, including nights and weekends.

Operating Instructions: Functions

Volt

The volt is a unit of electrical potential. The voltage of most household electric outlets in Canada is 120V. 

Amp

The amp is a unit that measures electric current, telling us the number of electrons in motion through the outlet at any given second.

Watt/VA

Press this button once to see how many watts, or useful power, is being transferred to the appliance per second. (For example, incandescent light bulbs are typically 60 watts, meaning at any given second, 60 watts of power are required to illuminate the bulb.)

Press this button a second time to see the VA reading. The VA reading is equal to the product of the Volt and Amp readings. This number expresses the total power transferred by the electric conversation per second and will always be greater than the watt reading.

Hz/PF

Press this button once to display Hs, or Hertz, and twice to show PF, the Power Factor of the appliance. Hertz is a unit of frequency defined as cycles per second. Most electric power is generated at 50 or 60Hz. Power Factor is an expression of efficiency calculated by dividing the watt reading by the VA reading (useful power divided by total power being drawn).

KWH/Hour

Press the pink button once to show the total energy consumed since the watt meter was plugged in. A kilowatt is equal to 1,000 watts. If a 60-watt light bulb is left on for 17 hours, it will consume roughly 1 kWh of electricity (60 watts/1,000 = .06 kW x 17 hrs = 1.02 kWh). 

Consumption will be displayed in Kilowatt-Hours (from 0.01 KWH to 999 KWH).  Time will initially be displayed as Hours: Minutes (from (00:00) and switch to Hours (to 9999).  Counters will recycle to zero when they reach their maximum.  To reset, remove power from until momentarily.

WARNING:  Do not exceed maximum ratings as detailed on label.

Calculating Costs

• Using the units provided by the watt meter, you can calculate your total energy use and how much it costs. Energy is billed per kWh, so: Cost of electricity = kWh (the value obtained by pressing the KWH/Hours button once) x the price you pay electricity.
  
  
• Yearly cost = Watt reading / 1,000 x number of hours you use the appliance per week x 52 weeks in a year x the price you pay for electricity.
  
  
• To calculate how much you will save by unplugging an appliance over a weekend and/or in off hours, plug the appliance into the face of the watt meter and then plug the watt meter into the wall. Leave it plugged in for the amount of time you wish to monitor. Savings = kWh reading x price you pay for electricity.
  
  
• To calculate the cost of electricity used in a week, leave the appliance plugged into the watt meter for an entire week of typical usage. For yearly cost, multiply weekly usage in kWh x 52 x the price you pay for electricity.