Ever wonder how much electricity that old refrigerator is using? Well, at my local library you can check out a cool little device called a “Kill-a-Watt” to find out. You can also purchase these in stores, but if your library or power company has one you can check out for free, that’s all the better.

To use it, you simply plug in the appliance/item you want to know about, and then plug it into the wall. The “Kill-a-Watt” measures how much electricity the item uses. It’s best to let it measure the usage for at least a week or two.

I used the “Kill-a-Watt” to find out what an energy sucker my 1980s chest freezer is. I estimate that the freezer costs me about $10/month to run. New freezers cost about $3-$4/month to run. I had been thinking about replacing my freezer for awhile, but now that I see how much energy it uses, I am even more motivated to save up to buy a new one.