I have considered something along those lines, although the TED5000 is a bit pricey.

The most commonly referenced device is the Kill-A-Watt, which comes in several models at various price levels. I have avoided the Kill-A-Watt primarily because of bad reviews on Amazon. The preponderance of reviews is favorable, but the negative reviews consistently point out the same failings, i.e., a sizable number of them fail in the first couple of weeks, technical support is nonexistent, build quality and components inside are of very poor quality, the instructions are completely worthless, the screen is difficult to read.

On the other hand, for $20 plus shipping (in my case, the shipping plus the import duty will cost more than the Kill-A-Watt) how much can you expect? If I get one and it works for a couple of hours before it fails, that would tell me everything I need to know.

Does anyone have specific recommendations?

tanstaafl.