Home & Family : House :

What's eating away at your cash reserves without your knowledge?

04.07.2008

Submitted by tmeronek on Mon, 04/07/2008 - 12:18am.
The Bite:
No, we're not talkin' couch cushions. A phantom load is the energy that's sapped by appliances when they're plugged in, but not on. Plug your devices into power strips that you switch off each night to achieve energy symbiosis.
The Benefits: 
  • Less bank account-leeching. 40% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while they're turned off.
  • Less parasitic exploitation of the earth's resources. If we averted phantom loads in all U.S. homes, we could shut down 17 power plants.
  • It's easier than contracting malaria. Power strips with surge protectors make it easy to "unplug" many appliances at once.
Personally Speaking: 
All of our offices use power strips, and we love clicking the off switch at night since it means that happy hour is right around the corner.
Wanna Try: 
  • Smart Strip Power Strip - smarty-pants device that senses when electronics are off, then "unplugs" them; also has space for "always on" appliances such as clocks and the fridge ($40).
  • Belkin SurgeMaster - has nine outlets, three phone-line inputs, and safety covers for the kids ($29).
  • Intermatic Appliance Timer - a timer that turns off lamps and electronics; use it when you're outta town ($5).
  • Kill-a-Watt - find out how much energy various appliances are using ($24).

Cocktail Fact

In 2004, the FDA approved a request to market leeches as medical devices (they secrete a chem that helps with blood clotting).

Bang For The Bite

If 10,000 Biters plug their cable box into power strips that automatically turn off when they're not watching TV, we'll save a collective $300,000 per year.

2 comments
Bookmark and Share
  Email This

Tips Like This

 

Other Related Content

 
Rosanne  on July 02, 2009 at 06:49 AM 1
Having a discussion at work with the 40% energy usage of appliances when not in use. Is there any supporting documentation to prove this is fact? Powers that be dispute the figures and I need to show proof of the pudding. With all the electricity used in our facility, not to mention at home, I'd like to pursue the use of power strips but need to prove it's factual and will reduce energy consumption. Thanks.
zerre  on November 13, 2009 at 07:16 AM 2
All of our offices use power strips, and we love clicking the off switch at night since it means that happy hour is right around the corner. games adventure games

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <font> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <p> <br> <img>

More information about formatting options

 

All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.