Energy monitors can be used easily at home to help identify energy savings and cut bills. A sensor is clipped to the incoming electricity supply cable which submits a signal to a display monitor showing how much energy is being used at any one time in your home. By switching off individual devices and leaving one running the monitor shows how much energy that device uses whether left on or on standby and more importantly how much it costs to power that device. The monitor shows energy use in kilowatt hours and cost in pence per hour.

It is estimated that householders in Leicestershire waste over £13 million by leaving appliances on standby. The average household in the UK spends around £1,300 per year on energy, which is set to increase even more with sharply rising energy prices. For example, a PlayStation 3 left in idle mode uses the equivalent of three 60-watt bulbs; and could add £164 a year on to electricity bills.

You can borrow an energy monitor free of charge from any Leicestershire library including mobile libraries for a week. The monitors come with an instruction booklet, are easy to install and helps reduce the amount of energy you use in your home. Typically, you could as much as 25%.