Save Energy and Money By Unplugging!

Did you know that you potentially waste energy by leaving lamps, cell phone chargers and other electronics plugged in when they aren’t in use. This term is referred to as “ghost power.” Basically small amounts of energy are continuously pulled from outlet through the charger or cord despite the fact that you’ve unplugged your device (such as a cell phone or laptop). However, this can be mitigated by using power strips to plug in your electronics. You can flip the power strip off when you don’t need it.

This “ghost energy” runs up your home’s energy bill even when you’re not actively using your devices according to Energy.gov. With summer just around the corner, it’s a good idea to start implementing energy savings to prepare for the higher usage associated with cooling! Depending on where you live, your electric bill could easily be several hundred dollars by mid-summer. So, any way to save is important to balancing your family’s budget.

“As cellphones have become a staple of modern life, so have the devices that power them. To ensure that they’re able to be in constant contact, many Americans carry chargers in their bags, have them in their cars and even their office. It shouldn’t come as much surprise to find that many cell phone users have one or more chargers constantly plugged in at their home. What most people don’t realize is that these chargers are continually drawing power, even when no device is connected to them. In fact, the average charger is consuming .26 watts of energy when not in use, and 2.24 watts even when a fully charged device is connected to it,” Energy.gov explains.

Who knew that such small, unassuming chargers could wreck such havoc on your power bill? Chargers themselves draw so much power from your home. Add in all the other electronics plugged in and your bill goes up. That could mean high costs over the span of a year.

Energy saving tips from Energy.gov:

• Curb idle time in devices such as computers and video game consoles. Simply setting your computer to sleep mode or saving a game and powering down instead of leaving it paused for a prolonged period can actually save more than $100 a year in many cases.
• Make smart upgrades. When it comes time to send your old devices to the graveyard, you should also consider replacing them with ENERGY STAR devices. They have a lower standby consumption than your average device and generally use less energy in all their functions. These are savings you should take into account when comparing similar products.