I get a lot of questions about when the Power Save will help save money. Will it save money while watching TV? How about electric heat or lights? Unfortunately these are examples of appliances that are not effected by the Power Save.
So when does the Power Save make a difference? It’s with motors, often referred to inductive loads. And it’s not when motors are running continuously but it’s only when they start running; and size does matter.
Think of a car sitting at a traffic light. Now when the light turns green and the gas is pressed, “extra” gas is needed than when traveling at a constant speed. Think about a big truck, it also needs more “extra” gas than the car to get moving.
Motors in your house are no different, they require a lot of electricity to start running but once they are running their electric usage levels out. This initial surge of electricity is what the Power Save helps moderate. It manages the electricity demand when motors start – this is when the Power Save makes a difference.
You may think that since your air conditioning is on or your freezer is plugged in that your motor is running. Fortunately for your electric bill, it’s not. If it ran continuously your electric bill would be sky high! On a hot day, your air conditioning could turn on and off every 15 minutes, that’s 4 times an hour, and 96 times over the course of a day! Every time your air conditioner turns on, the Power Save kicks in, saving you a few pennies which adds up over the course of a year.
There are a lot of household appliances that have motors: washing machines, the fan in your furnace, the compressor in your freezer, and even a water pump. If you have a Power Save installed, each time one of these start the motor, you’ll save a few pennies that will add up to savings on your electric bill!
