Take Charge! Small Changes Can Lead To Big Savings!
Are you familiar with vampire power, phantom loads, idling standby current, and wall warts? Sounds scary huh? Well it should. These terms apply to the things that are literally sucking the power out of your home! It's those red, green, or blue lights on all your electronics that glow when the device is turned off. It's the wall charger that stays plugged even when it's not charging. It's the clock on your microwave, the light on your DVR, the mis-managed power strip. Added together, these items account for more than 10% of your monthly electric bill. Here are some tips to on how to protect yourself from these nasty things that go bump in the night:
Posted by Sok on November 19, 2009 Tags: Go Green
- Unplug all your devices. Pull the plug on the TV, DVR, DVD player, etc.
- Unplug all your wall chargers when they are not in use. They consume 0.45 W of energy (on average) even when not in use.
- Turn the main power off. Many devices just remain in standby unless the main power is turned off. Check to see if there is a main power switch on the back of the device.
- Use power strips. Plug all your devices into a power strip and when you are done, just flip the power on the power strip.
- When buying any new device or appliance, always check to see if it is energy star qualified.
- Invest in an Auto Switching Surge Protector. These surge protector strips can sense when the device (i.e. computer or TV) is turned off and automatically severs power. You can find one for less than $30 at Sears.
- Get a Home Power Monitor. It can give you an up to the minute power usage reading of every plugged in device, displayed in either kilowatt hour or actual dollar amount. Black and Decker makes one for under $100 and is available at BestBuy
- Get a solar charger to charge those small electronics. Ritz Camera has one called the Juice Bar that comes with 12 different adapters, including a USB connection for $27.
- Don't just get a batter charger, get a solar battery charger. Smarthome has one that charges AA, AAA, C, and D batteries via solar power.
- Replace all your incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs. Prices continue to come down on these. Check your home improvement store or office store. If you're buying in bulk (the best way to save), check 1000Bulbs. They sell them in packs of 6 for a discount.
- Make sure you enable power management features on all your electronics. Customize these features to save even more energy.
Posted by Sok on November 19, 2009 Tags: Go Green
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