Reduce energy costs in your home up to 20% each month with the cool new Black & Decker Power Monitor ($100). This innovative device will shock you into cutting down on wasteful power consumption by displaying real-time electricity usage and costs, month-to-date costs and an estimated bill at the end of the month.

A wireless sensor easily installs on your home's electricity meter and monitors that little spinning wheel to determine the current rate of electricity being consumed. This information is then beamed back wirelessly to a handheld device that uses the data to display and track your energy usage and minute-by-minute costs in dollars and cents. It also features an Appliance Mode to help you isolate the cost of individual appliances, like refrigerators, washers, dryers and more.

I think watching my electricity costs add up in real time before my very eyes, would certainly motivate me to shut down as many unnecessary lights, appliances and other mindless energy sucking devices as I possibly could. In this 21st century world of complete electronics overload, I'm afraid to even look at this monitor, but like stepping on a scale, it helps to know where you stand before you can make a change. This could also be a very informative tool for educating and showing your children and your spouse that electricity really isn't free. (via Michael Kiely)