Table of Contents
Did you know that there are more ways to save on your energy bill than just switching to energy-efficient or ENERGY STAR rated appliances? It takes some effort, because you have to remove electronics from your home to save money. Appliances like your TV, computer, printer, or coffee maker suck up some energy even when they are on standby. As long as they plugged inthey add to your energy bill.
We call these “energy vampires.” You may not know it, but they’re a real drain on your wallet, increasing your home’s energy usage and hindering your efforts to save money. In the average household, about 10 percent of its total electricity consumption goes to energy vampires, meaning it’s electricity that simply doesn’t need to be used for appliances. The Department of Energy estimate this will cost at least $100 to $200 per yeardepending on where you are.
Let’s take a look around your home and find those energy vampires so you can unplug them and replace them with newer models that are efficient and will save you energy and money. This will help you avoid excess energy costs on your monthly energy bills and increase your long-term savings on electricity. And if you’re looking for more ways to save money on energy, you can also try methods to save on your heating bills this winter, one of which is to set your thermostat to an ideal temperature. You can also check out Energy assistance programs which can help you save more.
Computer equipment
Do you have a desktop computer at home? Whether it’s for gaming, working, or just surfing the web, your big tower and all its accessories are probably consuming a lot of excess energy, even when they’re not being used.
According to data from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Standby projectManaged by the Department of Energy, a desktop computer can cost more than $23 per year to keep plugged in and running in standby mode. The monitor adds another $1.53 per year on average, and the modem or router adds almost $7 per year.
It doesn’t sound like much on its own, but it’s not hard to see how quickly it adds up. Even a basic computer setup can cost over $30 a year, and that’s just one appliance. Your home is full of electronics that are guilty of the same energy-vampiring activity.
Televisions and set-top boxes
Another big energy hog is sitting in your living room. Televisions can cost you over $20 a year in excess energy usage if they are left plugged in while they are turned off. LEDs are generally more energy efficient than LCDs or plasmas if you want to keep your costs down.
Even worse is the set-top box you use to watch all your favorite shows. Digital cable boxes like the ones from your cable company will likely cost you close to $50 a year if you keep them plugged in all the time. Other set-top boxes like Apple TV tend to be a bit more energy-conscious. If you have cable, you’ll have a hard time escaping that power-guzzling box.
Speakers and sound systems
Speaking of entertainment, if you have a stereo system in your home, it probably uses a lot of energy. Audio systems can run you nearly $10 a year if they’re left plugged in, and audio input devices like CD players or turntables can add another $5 or more. Subwoofers and audio receivers also tend to use a lot of energy when they’re not in use, so consider unplugging your audio system when you’re not jamming.
How to Identify Common Energy Vampires in Your Home
While some appliances are more efficient than others, there are a few things to keep in mind if you don’t want an appliance to consume a lot of excess energy.
Any device that uses an external power source is likely to use more energy than you might expect, even when it’s turned off. Likewise, devices that use a remote control are often energy vampires, because they’re always on and waiting for input. Anything with a continuous display—the clock on your microwave or a screensaver on your TV or computer, for example—is also always using energy.
Take a look around your home at these devices and decide if they really need to be plugged in all the time. There is a convenience factor involved, but the extra step of plugging in and unplugging devices can save you quite a bit of money in the long run. Plus, it’s good for the planet and could use every bit of help you can give.
