As a resident of the Yuma area, you undoubtedly take as many measures as possible to keep your home cool so high cooling costs don’t drag you down. However, have you thought about other areas of your home that consume energy? You might think of lights, your water heater or various home appliances. Instead, consider all of the electronic devices that you keep continually plugged in. These steal energy via standby power, even if they’re turned off.
Here are answers to some common questions about standby power loss and how you can prevent it:
What devices cause energy waste through standby power consumption?
Essentially, any device with a power adapter or a lit display is leeching energy even when you’re not using it. Examples of common devices that consume standby power include:
- Chargers for cell phones, digital cameras, laptops, mp3 players and power tools.
- Home electronics, such as TVs, DVD players, DVRs, game consoles and speakers.
- Computer equipment, such as the computers themselves, monitors, printers, routers and modems.
Is standby power really a concern?
To save as much energy as possible, yes, standby power is worth worrying about. If yours is like the average household, you could be wasting $100 per year on standby power loss. The U.S. as a whole wastes more than $10 billion worth of energy every year powering devices that are uselessly left plugged in.
How can I conveniently stop standby power loss?
- Look for Energy Star labeled devices: These consume less power in standby mode, which is particularly helpful if you need to keep devices plugged in for digital clock displays or timers.
- Create a central turn-off point with a surge protector: You’ll protect your electronics against power surges and have a convenient way to shut everything off all at once when you’re not using your computer or home entertainment system.
- Unplug chargers: Tuck them away when not in use to stop standby power loss.
This information will help stop energy waste and make your home just a little greener. To learn more about keeping your energy bills down, please contact us at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Co. in Yuma today.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about standby power and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Hansberger Refrigeration & Electric Co services the Yuma area in Arizona. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!
