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Power meters are obviously king, then Heart Rate monitors.
A power meter might help to avoid rookie pacing errors if you've used it a lot in training and know what output you can sustain for a given time on any day. The trouble with riding to a power you already know you can do is that you'll fail to exploit your good days.
HR is even less reliable. I still put on the chest strap as a matter of 30 year ritual, but I don't look at it while riding and don't even bother to look at the data afterwards these days. HR is also a lagging indicator, so by the time you get the alarm, the fire has already taken hold.
gbj_tester
Pacing is the key thing with TTs, and knowing what you can hold consistently is crucial. That knowledge will come with time though, the more TT events (at the same distance) you do, the better attuned to your ability/numbers you'll become.
Power meters are obviously king, then Heart Rate monitors. They'll give you objective numbers (assuming you've done a test to calculate your FTP or worked out your HR zones from you Max HR). After that, you can use Rate of Perceived Exertion to score how hard you're working.
One really basic and easy method to gauge effort is to be constantly asking yourself 'Can I hold this pace for another X miles to the finish?'