Kill A Watt Energy Meters Initiative

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

The Kill a Watts energy Meters program was the initiative of an employee of the Prince William Public Library System as a project for the Virginia Library Leadership Academy. Cohorts of the Academy were challenged to develop a project that would enhance their leadership skills. The employee decided to establish a program that would provide energy usage meters for the community. These kits would be circulated for free from the full service libraries in the Prince William Public Library System. The meters would measure energy usage of a wide variety of household appliances and could be borrowed by patrons for up to three weeks at time. Library patrons would use this information to save money on their electrical bills and to find new ways to conserve household energy. The program was underwritten by Dominion Virginia Power, a local utility company. The Kill a Watts Program paralleled Prince William County’s initiatives to “Go Green” and the “BIG LEEP” (Business, Individuals, and Government as Local Environmental Education partners), which encouraged the community to work together to provide a cleaner and greener planet. The Library System continually explores ways to provide timely services to the public and the Kill a Watts Program was another example of its commitment to its stakeholders.