I could never unplug everything in my house when I'm not using it. I'm a very forgetful person. I'd totally forget to plug everything back in the next morning.
You would actually be surprised at the electricity that is used by an appliance or electronic used in standby mode or off. While it's not significant, there is a small amount of waste. While it is only cents, those cents add up over time. It really only matters for the things you leave plugged up that you rarely use int he first place. Have a lamp plugged up but never use it? Unplug it. How about a TV or a radio? Unplug them. A toaster and coffee pot? Only plug them in while in use. It's not as much a hassle as people make it out to be, and I will take those cents any day.
Yes it surely will cut down the cost. because unused but plugged appliances "absorbs" current before sending it back to the loop. There are power saving products though, that does otherwise. Those will actually lower your bills when plugged!
Maybe I should post a note to every appliance that says "UNPLUG ME WHEN NOT IN USE!" specifically to call my husband's attention. He doesn't bother unplugging them even if I keep reminding him. Most of the time I just unplug it myself. He doesn't believe me when I tell him that though the appliance item has been turned off, it's still using electricity.
Appliances that are together in one corner of the room can be plugged into a single extension cable, say 4 appliances to one extension outlet. Then the extension to the wall plug. It will be less hassle to unplug 4 appliances at once!
So wait, only appliances with a standby feature sips a little power, right? What about things like kettles, they are not in standby when not in use, but if plugged in with switch turned to ON, will they consume ANY power at all?
Have you seen my apartment? I have to pull a James Bond style coo just to reach the extension cord for some of my items lol. I have so many shelves, computer desks, tables, dvd players, big screen tvs, etc. Just unplugging my air conditioner is a chore.
Yes it does work. I been doing it in my apartment for 2 years now. My bill used to be $60+ an month and now its $25-$35 an month. Give it a try for an month and I promise your bill will be lower than the last month.
I have my TVs and entertainment system, stereo, computers and such plugged into power bars. Each night I just flip the switch on each power bar to cut all power to those things. I don't do that with my stove, or microwave. I like having the clocks on those things set at the correct time, so I let those little vampire energy suckers live.
Isn't turning the switch to off enough? Why need to unplug it? And someone please answer my other question (few posts up). Thanks.
A lot of appliances, especially entertainment and computer electronics, suck power even when they are off. For TVs and computer monitors, the reasoning behind it is that it takes a relatively long time to turn on from a 'cold' state, so having a bit of power flow through when it's off makes the display show up faster when you turn it on. Other appliances power LED lights for no particular reason. I have a toaster that's got back-lit dials. Looks cool, but it does suck power even when not in use. Anything with a built-in clock, or that has a light even when turned off (like a Wii) is using power. Not a lot individually, but when you take them all together, it's enough that you'd notice on your monthly bill if you started pulling the plug on them when not in use. Most kettles, AFAIK, don't use vampire power, but I would imagine it depends on the make and model and features. I saw a $200 kettle at an electronics store last month that probably would...
I tried doing this and it did save but it is a pain so i stopped and now i just unplug the big things like computers washer dryers radios tvs basically the only thing that stays plugged are lamps and things and i save just as much as i did when i did it all there is an article i can't remember the name but i will try and find it to post here that tells you the things that will save you money by unplugging and the things that really don't make a difference.
Unfortunately yes! because there is still current circulating through the appliances which will convert into energy waste when it gets back to the line. There also is something that they call "leaking electricity"
I don't think the difference made is enough to warrant the effort. Once I tried to make my electricity meter stop completely. Eventually after turning literally everything off I could still see it move (the electricity required to run the meter) and that was only 2 watts, from that I realized that at night when almost everything is off, I am using less than 20 watts from standby appliances.
You also have to remember that at the end of the day, if they estimate your bill instead of actually reading the meter, it'll still be high.
I don't think unplugging anything will save a significant amount of money. I don't think it's worth it to constantly keep unplugging and re-plugging everything just to save a couple of dollars. You would be better off just spending the accumulated time on doing something for side income for compensating in keeping those appliances plugged and you'll have a lot left over for a dinner or a trip from the time you saved and the money you earned.
It depends on how you calculate. say you save a quarter a month, multiply it by a year, or multiply it by 5 years or so, it is still savings..
I think that if one is really watching their pennies, it is not unreasonable to unplug everything. I don't go that far, however I might start though, because my electricity bill can get pricey every month. I really make a concerted effort to make sure that things are turned off. I don't like any lights on or anything when they are not in use. In my house, I am on top of it if a light is left on in a room and no one is in that room. I usually immediately go and turn stuff off. Someone here said that they read an article or something talking about the different energy costs of different appliances in a home. I have read something like that somewhere. I don't remember which appliances used the most energy, but of course, they all use something, and it does add up.
Unfortunately, my computer doesn't do well when it's turned off. It wont turn back on right away and I'm too scared that it will never turn back on. Having to buy a new computer would completely negate any money saved on electricity.
Even pre-high speed internet my mother used to leave the computer on all the time because she claimed that it sucked more energy to turn it on and off all the time than to just leave it on... is there any truth behind that?
