So you think you are good at saving electricity? Well, as Deb reminded me in a previous post, chargers and other electrical equipment are using electricity whenever they are plugged in. In the back of my brain I knew this but I never really put it together that unplugging unused appliances could, you know, save me real money. I’ve been on an unplugging crusade in our house ever since. And now the New York Times chimes in on the issue. The author of the article used a Kill A Watt EZ Meter to measure which electronic product was using the most electricity in his home. The biggest hog was his computer which drew a shocking 134 watts(!) while it was not being used. Other big wasters were his TiVo at 30 watts and his audio system which drew 47 watts. According to the article, the Department of Energy estimates up to 40 percent of all electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the power is turned off. What a waste. So if you are looking for a quick and painless way to save yourself some money, unplug your electronics before going to bed.
Real Energy Savings
