It’s supposed to be a real turn-off. That button on almost every commonplace appliance makes it pretty simple. Running – or not running. It is eitheroff or on. Even the most technically challenged human can figure that out.

Right? Right. Maybe. Maybe not.

Thanks to local utility companies, people are discovering that not all appliances in their homes are ‘off’ just because the button says it is.

Xcel Energy and Cass County Electric Cooperative (CCEC) have placed energy meters in regional libraries, which can be checked out like any other library materials. Xcel has distributed Power Check Meters in several locations in its eight-state region including Minot Public Library and Hennepin County Public libraries. CCEC has placed 24 Kill A Watt meters in libraries in West Fargo and Fargo.

The response to the programs implemented last fall, has been overwhelming resulting in waiting lists in most of the facilities. Carrie Joyce, community coordinator for CCEC, reports, “This is a very successful project – we have waiting lists for the meters, so we know people are really using them.”

The meters measure how much energy appliances are using – and wasting. Joyce stresses that the meters will detect ‘phantom loads’ of energy being used even when appliances are supposedly turned off. People are finding out how much items are costing when they are plugged in but not is use.

Joyce points out that the biggest ‘phantom load’ culprits include cell phone chargers, coffee makers, televisions, computers – anything that is left in a stand-by mode when not in use. “This is a wonderful educational tool,” she adds. “And they are very easy to use. You simply plug them into a wall outlet and then plug the appliance into the meter.”

Carrie Scarr, assistant director of the West Fargo Library, says the Kill A Watt meters are very popular. “They are certainly being checked out and used – we have a lot buzz about them and a lot of interest.”

Bonnie Lund, senior communications representative for Xcel Energy in Fargo, says their Power Check Meters, which operate on any standard 120-volt electrical appliance, are designed to help people understand the energy use in their own homes. “Our homes are among the best places to save energy and these meters make that possible.”

In mid-November, Xcel placed six meters in the Minot Public Library. Kathy Aas, community relations manager for the library, says, “This is a great tool to help people manage their home energy costs. You can determine the operating cost of appliances like refrigerators and microwaves and then predict your savings by reducing energy use.”

An additional advantage, she points out, is the meter will help determine the cost savings for replacing older equipment with energy-efficient models. “In some cases,” she notes, the cost of a new appliance pays for itself in energy savings over time.”

Aas adds, “People also discover what we call ‘energy vampires’ – those appliances that use energy when they’re off.”

Melinda Ludwiczak, on the staff of the Hennepin County Public Library system in Minneapolis, was the project director for the Xcel program. Ludwiczak says she was anxious to try the meter in her own home.

Not too surprised to learn that many of her home appliances were never really turned off all the way, the librarian says, “I always thought that maybe some energy was being wasted, but I never knew how much. The meter showed me that a good amount of energy was still being used even though the appliance had supposedly been turned off. “ For some reason, Ludwiczak observes, “people think they have to leave things like hair dryers plugged in all the time even when they are not being used and that is not true.”

In a home with several televisions, it can be a nuisance to plug and unplug each set when not being used. One solution, Ludwiczak says, is to plug several appliances into a surge bar. “This really worked for us and has made a big difference in the amount of energy we use.”

Ludwiczak and other library personnel agree that the availability of the meters to the public is extremely valuable. “Our public loves it,” Ludwiczak remarks. “We have 50 units available and they are in circulation all the time. In fact,” she adds. “we have a waiting list of about 750 names. These meters are in very high demand.”

In addition to having meters in local libraries, Scheel’s Ace Hardware in Fargo and Home Depot in Fargo are among stores that carry energy usage meters. Scheel’s has the Kill A Watt meter available for $29.99. Home Depot carries the Kill A Watt for $29.97 and the Ryobi Power meter for $25.

Saving energy costs at home is now a very easy turn on.