Ben and Lily are a young couple in Manhattan that work for a company that provides large-scale lighting for entertainment industry events. “Because of what we do—electricity is a big part of our life…and because of that I think we are more aware of how much power devices use,” explains Ben. “Our industry consumes a lot of energy,” adds Lily, “It’s hard to rationalize wasting energy at home when we’re using so much energy at work.” So the couple began making small changes throughout their home—unplugging chargers and small appliances when not in use, keeping their air conditioner on the power-saver setting and replacing regular light bulbs with energy efficient CFL bulbs. But Ben and Lily were still unsure about what the real effect these small changes were actually having on their energy consumption, so they became members of the Unwaste Lab. 

As part of the Unwaste Lab, they had an energy monitor installed in their apartment and are now able to track their energy use in real-time. “We do have a lot of appliances and it’s nice to know what we’re running and the energy it’s consuming,” says Lily. With their new energy monitor and the knowledge of what in their home is consuming energy and how much, the couple is now planning to minimize their energy consumption as much as possible. “The goal would be to live our life the way we want while using the least amount of power possible, and I think being able to see the peaks of power will allow us to adjust our usage to meet that goal,” says Ben, adding, “This program will teach us how, and that’s the most exciting part.”