As a kid, we all learned to shut off the lights when we leave a room to save energy. The same went for turning off everything when we were finished using it. But sometimes simply turning off appliances like televisions and computers doesn’t stop them from consuming energy (and costing us money).
Even when electronics appear to be turned off, many still consume power for charging, sending and receiving signals or for instant turn-on. Identifying and unplugging these energy vampires will help you consume less energy and spend less on your monthly utility bill.
Top 5 Energy Vampires
Appliances with digital clocks, LED indicators and battery chargers are all easily identified energy vampires. Other vampires aren’t so easy to spot but can really drain a lot of power. Check out these top 5 power drainers.
- Plasma TVs: Even turned off, some plasma TVs rack up an impressive 145 kilowatt hours.
- Game Consoles: Now that almost every gaming console connects to the internet, even in standby, an average console will cost $25 a year while turned off.
- Computers: Computers cost between $15-35 a year to run in standby, and chances are you have more than one in your home.
- Cable/Satellite Boxes: Just one of these boxes can cost you $15 a year in energy costs.
- Printers: Printers are almost always in standby mode but can still cost you between $7-14 a year.
Most of the major appliances and electronics you come across are energy vampires to some extent, so how can you easily manage them without walking around your entire house and unplugging everything every time you leave the house?
For starters, try to group some of your worst energy vampires together on one power strip. That way, you can easily shut them off all at once when you’re not using them. Also remember to unplug your laptops, tablets and cellphones after they fully charge so you aren’t continually draining power for hours.
Finally, remember that even though some electronics don’t seem to use enough energy to warrant the thought to unplug them, all of your energy vampires together have the potential to save you a lot each year. The average household wastes $120 a year on powering stuff that isn’t even in use.