Electronics Tips to Save Money and Be Safe

You’re probably using more energy than you need to. In America, 10% to 20% of our electric bill charges are from phantom power.  This refers to the power that devices consume when idle. Phantom power is also called standby power or vampire energy. Americans spend an estimated $19 billion each year in phantom power costs.

Everything plugged in is using an electric current in your home. Of course, it’s not practical to plug and unplug your lamps. You want your clock radio and refrigerator plugged in at all times. Your automatic light or motion sensor night lights are convenient when it’s time to hit the hay.

So, how do you navigate this 24/7 energy drain in your home?

I recommend the “Complete Guide to Vampire Power” by Payless Power. I included their infographic at the bottom of my post. I recommend reading the article, too. I learned a lot from them to write this post.

A Wide Range of  Culprits

Let’s move from low-end energy consumers to the real vampires.

Many devices only need to be used. These don’t use a huge amount of energy when idle.

• Your floor lamp.
• The white noise machine in the nursery.
• Hand mixers.
• Hair styling equipment.
• Phone chargers.

Smart devices might consume more power. They’re convenient, waiting for you to wake them up for a quick coffee. The TV is lurking in your living room waiting for that click from your remote.

• Microwaves.
• Garage door openers.
• Coffee makers.
• Computers and printers.
• Entertainment systems.

Some devices use similar amounts of energy whether turned off or on standby. The Payless Power article used a FAX machine as an example. (See Applications.)

Your furnace and major appliances must remain on, so replace them with energy-efficient models when they wear out. If your refrigerator needs replacing, consider whether to pass on a smart fridge. Do you want the extra energy cost of its’ Internet connectivity on your electric bill?

Many cable boxes are huge energy consumers. (Also see NOTES.)

Some Applications to Consider

Energy drains for devices range from a 2-watt night light bulb up to 1800 watts per dishwasher cycle. Small drainage might not be worth correcting unless you want to consider the energy sum of all the little phantoms.

If you think stopping your dishwasher early to let your dishes air dry will help, try it for a month and check your electric bill.

Put your desktop computer to sleep or shut it down. At night, turn off monitors and speakers. Of course, shut all of this down when you travel.

For devices like FAX machines and printers, don’t leave them turned on 24/7, if possible. Turn them on when you first need them for the day. Turn them off when you’re finished with them for the day.

Unplug to Save Money

Unplug devices once they’re charged. The device will drain energy if you leave it plugged in past its full charge. This includes:

• Electric toothbrushes and shavers.
• Laptops.

Consider plugging into a timer for some of your devices.

Put several devices on a power strip. Turn them all on or off depending on your usage.

I just found outlets with switches. I used to leave a small UV cleaner on continually. It only needs to run for three hours. Now, I’m turning it off after I use it.

A Fire Safety Bonus Tip

Never leave appliances with heating elements plugged in, such as:

• Toaster ovens.
• Air Fryers (The instructions for ours reads: “unplug after every use.”)
• Mug warmers.
• Curling irons.
• Coffee maker fires are rare. They do occur. (I always unplug ours when we go away for a trip.)

I don’t trust “automatic shut-off” on appliances. It’s a nice safety feature and can bring some peace of mind.

Unplugging the device is even better. Be wise about fire hazards.

Conclusion

I did an assessment of our home as I wrote this.

• I discovered I already had some small devices plugged into a power strip. I’m turning them off during the day when I don’t need them.
• I just noticed our emergency-light night light. If our power goes out, the light comes on. Naturally, this small item will stay plugged in.
• I bought the outlets with switches.

What about you? Are you going to look for your phantoms and make some changes? You might want to research a little deeper on your specific appliances.

Knowing where you can stop energy drainage should help with your electric bill. Assess your energy usage all over your home and decide where you want to make some changes.

If you want to test the kilowatt usage of specific items in your home, purchase a Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor or something similar.

NOTES:

• Disclaimer: I’m not knowledgable on electricity and electronics. I’m reporting from what others have written online.
• Other articles I read for this post:
  • “How Many watts does a computer use?” This article by EnergySage looks at energy use and potential energy costs.
  • “How to Stop Energy Vampires from Attacking Your Home” takes you on a room-by-room tour of your home to see where you might save energy costs. Older cable boxes drain a lot of energy. This article has a paragraph about this problem.
• The images for this post are screenshots from the Payless Power infographic.
• The following infographic from Payless Power summarizes their article, “Complete Guide to Vampire Power.”