How Much Power Electronics Consume When Not in Use
Everyone is becoming more conscious of saving energy, but how much are you really saving when your electronic devices are turned off?
These days you can name about 50 household devices or appliances that no longer need to be turned off. In fact, up to 25 percent of residential energy consumption is associated with devices using idle power.
Electricity Production Certain items in a house may be generating electricity even when they are off. A cable box, for example, can draw almost as many watts when you are not recording or watching a show. Even if you never watch TV at all, you can still be charged for using 227 kilowatt-hours per year.
You also pay for wasted energy when your laptop computer is constantly plugged in. It's possible to consume 4.5 kilowatt-hours in a week if you keep your laptop continuously plugged in.
Appliances Always On Some devices are always on for the sake of convenience. A Netgear router, for example, is always on to maintain a high-speed internet connection. The good news is that routers don't draw much power. Many people keep their TVs on all the time to avoid waiting for it boot up.
Many modern appliances such as dishwashers now have digital displays are always on, which do draw power. Smaller devices such as coffee makers, air purifiers and toasters may also require being on nonstop. A coffee maker alone can use up 50 kilowatt hours per year.
Reducing Power The best way to stay on top of saving energy is to study the hourly data of your electricity consumption on your utility meters. Using a power strip to group appliances together is a key way to save money on electricity costs for items that are always on. Make sure to keep the power strip on so that you don't reset times and data on clock-based digital devices.
