Unplug the Beast and Save

April 26, 2018 8:45 AM
by Andrew Basmajian

One way to commune with our planet-loving friends and neighbors is to shoo away the bad actors quietly sucking electricity out of wall sockets in your home. These are the electronic appliances and devices that use energy when they’re plugged in, even if they’re “turned off.”

Most of these energy beasts go into “standby” mode, where they continuously suck a trickle of electricity to power features such as clocks and LED status lights. These little horrors account for 5 to 10 percent of a household’s total electricity use. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, that adds up to roughly $100 per year for each household, or more than $10 billion in annual energy costs nationwide!

Some energy slobs that might be draining your wallet include: 

• TVs, DVD players and cable boxes
• Video game and home audio systems
• Computers
• Chargers for cell phones, laptops and tablets
• Kitchen appliances including coffee makers, microwaves and toaster ovens

The City of Santa Monica partners with Southern California Edison and SoCalGas to help you defeat energy and money-wasting monsters like these. Here are some tips:

• Unplug appliances and devices when they’re not in use or have finished charging. It may not be feasible to unplug every device, but it’s easy to unplug in areas not frequently used, such as a guest room or garage.
• Plug appliances into an easily accessible power strip or surge protector, and turn the entire power strip off when the devices aren’t in use.
• Purchase Energy Star-certified products.

For more information about saving energy, please visit sustainablesm.org/rebates.

This article was originally published in Seascape. 

Authored By

Andrew Basmajian
Sustainable Outreach Coordinator