Believe it or not, a percentage of your electricity bill comes from appliances that are switched off. A lot of homeowners assume that when a device is not in use, it couldn’t possibly be using energy—but it is actually the exact opposite. Not only is this a horrible waste of money—it increases your carbon footprint, too. To help you save some precious cash, we’ve put together a handy list of items that you need to remember to unplug:
1. TV
Or any home appliance that uses a remote control. In order to receive a strong signal, appliances need to use electricity to be “on alert.” In some cases, the amount of energy consumed by a TV on standby is the same as it is when turned on.
2. Alarm clocks
Digital clocks fall under another category of electrical leeches. While they are not controlled by a remote, they need to be turned on 24/7 in order to work accurately. If you can, consider going for analog clocks to completely cut this off from costs.
3. Chargers
Be it phones, laptops or gaming consoles, chargers continually draw power—even when your device isn’t connected. Although it averages to around .25 watts of energy, when you sum it all up, it can still cost you a fair amount.
4. Extension cords
Power strips are handy for controlling power flow to a number of objects, but when it is perpetually switched on, it can drain unnecessary energy which causes an inflation in your bill.
5. Routers and cable boxes
If you don’t watch a lot of TV or spend too much time online, running a router and a cable box daily might not be the best idea. Consider only turning it on when in use or if you know you’ll be able to maximize on a particular day.
SOURCES: scienceabc.com and 20somethingfinance.com
This story originally appeared on Realliving.com.ph.
* Minor edits have been made by the Femalenetwork.com editors.
