Take Charge Energy Kits at North Adams Public Library
North Adams - Trying to find ways to save money on your energy bills this winter? Take Charge: The North Adams Campaign to Save Energy, a partner of Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, has developed kits that can help! Now available for circulation at the North Adams Public Library are four energy kits. Each kit includes a Kill A Watt Meter, extension cord, tire pressure gauge and hot water meter.The Kill A Watt Meter can help residents determine how efficient their in-home products are. It measures and displays the number of Kilowatt-hours an appliance uses. Many appliances, like televisions, use power even when they are turned off. Simply plug the Kill A Watt Meter into an outlet and plug your appliance into the meter, using the extension cord if necessary. It is an easy and fast way to find solutions to save energy in your home. When you have determined which appliances are truly the energy hogs, you may be able to put these appliances on a power strip and turn them off completely when they are not needed.
It is important to check your tire pressure on a regular basis. With the tire pressure gauge, donated by Aubuchon Hardware, you can ensure you are not lowering your cars gas mileage. Directions on how to use the gauge are included in the kit.
The hot water meter included in the kit is a card, similar to the size of a credit card, that tests the temperature of your home's water. As the kit explains, your home's water should be around 120 degrees. If your hot water varies significantly from this recommendation, you may want to have someone help you adjust it. Turning down the temperature of your hot water can help you save on your energy bills.
Madeline King, a Williams student and a Take Charge intern, says, "The energy kits are really doing what Take Charge is all about: making saving energy and money easy to do by providing the community with the necessary tools."
The Energy Kits come in a tidy canvas bag, donated by State Representative Daniel Bosley, and can be checked out of the library for one week intervals. Using the kit can effectively help to lower your energy bill.
For more information about Take Charge, visit our website: takechargenorthadams.org.
