Unplugged

One of the questions I get asked most often is "Should I unplug something when I'm not using it?"

I usually tell people that the small amount of energy saved by doing this will not make a huge difference on their monthly utility bill. However, the savings do add up over time.

Anything you can plug in that still sucks energy when it’s supposedly turned off is called a Vampire appliance. Some are pretty obvious. The clocks on microwaves and VCR/DVD players burn all day, everyday. We know they’re not “off” because we can see their LED lights glow. Even electronics like televisions and cell phone chargers draw power when they’re plugged in but not in use.

According to Energy Star, 75% of the electricity used over the lifetime of home electronics is consumed when the products are turned off.

Here's a handy graph from Good Magazine to help you pinpoint the Energy Vampires in your house. (Click to enlarge.)



And here's a short, but informative video: