Yes, Really, Unplug Your Electronics

I’ve written several articles now about saving energy (Save energy, Save the Earth—-sorry, I’ve been watching Heroes reruns lately…) and one of the simplest things we can do to save energy is to avoid the so-called “vampire” energy loss that occurs when our electronics and appliances pull power, even when powered off. According to some estimates, including the EPA, vampire loss can account for up to 15% of our total home electricity usage.

So, what is it? It’s the “standby” power that items like dvd players, computers, and televisions use when they’re shut off. It’s the power used to light up all of those little digital clocks on VCRs, microwaves, and coffee makers. It’s the energy that your cell phone charger pulls, even after you’ve unplugged the phone from the charger. And it’s all wasted, resulting in unnecessary greenhouse gases entering our atmosphere.

The simplest solution to the problem? Unplug any electronic or appliance that isn’t currently being used. If you have a bunch of stuff in one area, plug it all into a  power strip so you can just switch it “off” when you’re not using it. It takes a few extra seconds out of your  day, but it’s minimal when you consider what a positive impact it would have if everyone  started  doing it.

Back to those articles. A couple of  them have been submitted to Digg and Reddit, and it never fails to surprise me how much resistance this one simple step gets. I’ve seen comments ranging from “but then I have to  reset my VCR all over again” to “who has the time to do this  every day?”

The funny thing is that my mother-in-law, along with several of my aunts and uncles, do this anyway, and always have. It has nothing to do with being “green,” per se. It had, and still has, everything to do with saving money on the electric bill. My MIL’s been doing it her whole life, and it’s second nature. I’ve never once heard her complain about all the time and effort she wastes unplugging. It’s such a silly argument. The problem is, really, that it’s a different way of doing things, and we humans are, if nothing else, resistant to change.

So, today’s tip: Unplug your unused electronics! Give it a chance. It’s not nearly as onerous or time-consuming as some people make it out to be. And you can feel good knowing you’re preventing all of those greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. If nothing else, saving money on the electric bill never hurt anyone.