Kill A Watt P3 vs Kill A Watt Easy Reviewed
Posted in electrical on February 18th, 2010 by Don – 3 CommentsDo you like gadgets? How about a gadget that can save you some money and have some fun doing it? The Kill A Watt p4400 is P3 International’s original product to measure real-time energy consumption, wall voltage, etc. that came out in 2003. This product wasn’t the first, but popularized the growing energy trend of consumers looking first-hand at their energy usage one wall outlet at a time.
More recently, P3 has added the Kill A Watt Easy, which adds a long-term cost analysis. However, the original product is still produced and can be found in stores at a very reasonable cost. They also make the Kill A Watt PS, which is a power strip quite useful for computers and peripherals (who doesn’t own at least a dozen “wall warts” these days?
Using the p3
So how does it work? The unit is a fairly compact box that plugs into a wall or extension cord. Please note, it will take over a 2-socket outlet, so plan accordingly (this is where an extension cord can be handy).
Simple and fun
Simply plug the unit in, and you’ll be able to get the line voltage and A/C frequency by pressing the “Volt” and “Hz” buttons.
Now for the fun part. Choose a lamp or appliance, and plug it in. The “Amp” or “Watt” buttons will tell you with 2% accuracy how much energy you are using RIGHT NOW. If you have a computer plugged in, you’ll see significant changes in power consumption as you use it. For example, my fairly efficient computer ranges between 62 and 80 watts depending on if it is sitting idle or running processes in Photoshop.
The best information for me was learning about “wall warts” and finding that some of them were better than their reputation for being “vampires” in using power to do nothing. My Lenovo laptop power supply, for example, used less than 1 watt (I don’t know how much less, the reading simply says “0″) when it was plugged in and no laptop was connected to it. Actually, if the meter shows a zero, it means it complies with the One Watt Initiative laid out by the International Energy Agency to phase out vampire power sources.
"Hydra" setup for easy switching
Kill A Watt compared with Kill A Watt Easy
One of the more sophisticated features of the standard P3 model is the ability to monitor kilowatt-hr usage. This is useful in evaluating cyclical loads such as refridgerators (in the case of a refridgerator, the insulation is at least as important as motor efficiency).
The Kill A Watt Easy steps it up with an actual cost display…you’ll see in dollars and cents what your appliances are consuming. Handy, but I’m not sure I’d pay more for it. Bottom line, either unit is spec’d the same, so buy based on this one feature only.
Shortcomings
Not much! These are simple devices that just work. However, it would be nice to have a 220v version for large appliances, or perhaps a graphing version…or a wifi-connected unit to interface with your computer. OK, I’m getting a little carried away here.
Wrapping Up
Any way you look at it, the Kill A Watt meter is fun and useful. It isn’t something you’ll use all the time, but is handy to have around the house. Just be careful lending it to friends…you might not see it back!