Kill A Watt helps you figure out where you're wasting electricity

I've been intending to write about this particular gadget for a few weeks now, not just because it has a compellingly clever name but because it's a useful way for people to get a better handle on how much electricity certain electronic gadgets draw.

Kill A Watt from P3 International is a pretty simple concept: It's essentially a meter that tracks the power consumption of whatever's plugged into it. You can look at usage patterns over the course of a day, week, month or year, which means that Kill A Watt actually isn't just useful up front, it can be used to track the arc of an aging appliance or gadget.

Here's what it looks like.

I've seen this particular edition of the Kill A Watt series priced around $25 at various electronics e-tailers; a version that is a combination power strip costs around $60.

Finally, because it's Monday and I figure you need cheering up as much as I do, here is a spoofy infomercial from Titan TV that makes light of what this thing does while underscoring just how simple it is. Anyway, a relatively inexpensive way to get a handle on your electricity usage. It's up to you, though, to take action.