These days, there is hardly anyone who does not have a computer or a smartphone at home. Almost every Colorado household has multiple gadgets; every individual at home has a phone, a personal laptop, and even a tablet. Now all these gadgets work on batteries that need to be charged every now and then. Do you know how much electricity goes into charging these devices? If you haven’t paid any attention to this point, maybe you should do so now, especially if you want to reduce your electricity bills.
Unplug your gadgets
One of the biggest mistakes that we make is leaving the devices or gadgets plugged in even after use. Think about it. Do you always unplug the laptop or mobile chargers after you are done using them? Do you turn off the stereo after the party and unplug it too? The answer to these questions is perhaps no. We do not deliberately waste energy; we do it out of habit. Most of us are not used to unplugging our devices, something that can cost us financially and also increase our carbon footprint. If you too have made it a habit to keep all devices plugged in whether or not you use them, it should be no surprise that your electricity bills are skyrocketing.
How do you detect energy use when device is unplugged?
Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National University have found that bigger and older devices tend to use more energy even when they are switched off and plugged in. So if you have shut the TV off using the remote, but have not completely cut off its power by unplugging it, chances are it is still using energy. Same is the case with laptop chargers and mobile chargers. One way to determine whether the device is consuming energy when turned off is to touch and feel the power adapter. If it is hot, then it is using energy that is simply being wasted.
What should be unplugged?
Among the gadgets that you should unplug to reduce energy consumption include cable boxes, computers, televisions, gaming consoles, and audio/video equipment. These gadgets consume a lot of energy even when they are switched off, but plugged in. Digital picture frames and LCD displays also eat up a lot of energy when they are plugged in, regardless of being in use or not.
If you aren’t sure which of your gadgets are responsible for increase in your energy bills, talk to a Colorado energy efficiency specialist today.
