Saving electricity: Standby power, watt a waste

February 24, 2008

Standby power
Image: standby.lbl.gov

Want to save your household some money and help save the environment at the same time?, well here are a few tips that are easy to implement and all it takes is a little discipline on your behalf.

“The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimates that standby power accounts for 1.5 percent of OECD member countries’ residential electricity use. This is only an average, though; highly industrialized and wealthy countries like Germany for example have a much higher number, about 4 percent.”

Who needs a digital clock on a microwave ? Why not turn your microwave off at the wall until you need to use it, then once you are finished using it turn it off.

If you don’t use the programmable timer option to tape television shows with your VCR or DVD, then why not turn your whole television / stereo unit off at the wall every night before bed and each day while you are at work. If it is a hassle to get to the back of the unit to turn off the power point you will just need to purchase a longer extension lead so that your power board sits at the end of your unit and is easy to get to.

Have you got a broadband modem/router, we turn ours off each night before bed and if nobody is at home using the internet then it gets turned off as well.

Power adapters for mobile phone chargers, laptops, rechargeable torches, these and any other power adapter will use a certain amount of electricity even if they are not plugged into their respective devices.

POST CONTINUES, see what you can do

So what can you do in your home?

Our philosophy is this.

1. There are a lot of electrical devices which don’t get used very often. Examples of these might be decorative lamps, such as those on buffets and side tables etc, for any of these types of devices keep the unit turned off at the wall all of the time except when they are to be used. In some cases this may be never.

2. If you have a television / stereo entertainment unit, invest $10 or $15 or so in a small 2 metre ( approx 6 feet ), power lead and a power board which has an on/off switch. This will extend your power board to sit at the end of your cabinet so that it is easy for you to turn off.

3. Make yourself a list of all of the regular power points (outlets) that you use during the day and night, ie stereo/TV, microwave, computer etc. Store this list on your fridge. When you go to turn off all power outlets, you have a reminder list to refer to.

4. Each night before bed it should only take you about 1 to 2 minutes to switch of every power outlet.

5. Each morning before you leave the house for work make sure you also switch every power outlet off.

6. If you have members of the family who are still at home during the day, ensure that they only turn on the devices that they use.

There are many other ways that you can save electricity, money and the environment. We will discuss these in future posts, but for now if you were to implement the standby power savings above, you will definitely save yourself some money and do the environment a good turn as well.



Written by Craig · Filed Under Energy, Environment, People 

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