According to the U.S. Department of Energy, energy vampires in American homes waste 100 billion kilowatts of electricity each year, draining away $10 billion in energy costs. These so-called vampires include chargers for portable devices and those appliances that use clocks and standby power. Considering the rising electrical costs associated with the upcoming cooling season, as well as taking a few steps to organize your appliances before the heat hits, can help you manage the higher electric bills.
Chargers
Many of the chargers you use for portable devices continue to draw power even when the battery is full. Some continue to draw power even after they’re disconnected, so the best way to save energy is by unplugging them. You can gather all the chargers, label them for their device, and plug them into a power strip. When you’re done charging, pull the plug or turn off the power strip.
Appliances
- Unless you want to use the timer on your coffee maker, unplug it when you’re finished. You can do the same with the microwave. The worst energy vampires in a home are computers and televisions. If your TV starts instantly after turning it on, it’s drawing standby power. Putting all the peripheral devices on one power strip can help cut electrical consumption when you turn off the power to the strip.
- The monitor for the computer uses more electricity than the computer itself. Change the settings so that it sleeps after idling after a specific period of time, or shutting it down once you’re finished with it for the day will save energy, too. Turning off the idling printers and other devices also will lower energy consumption.
- When you’re replacing or buying new devices, look for those that carry the Energy Star or Most Efficient label.
- Remove the halogen lights in your home. Not only do they create excessive heat when they’re on, they have transformers that use power even when they’re off.
For more information about eliminating energy vampires in your home, please contact Hansberger Refrigeration & Electric Company, proudly providing quality HVAC services for Yuma area homeowners since 1952.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about energy vampires and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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