Inconspicuous thieves live in your house and steal energy right from your wallet all year round. No, we’re not talking about the neighbors connected to your Wi-Fi, but the appliances you leave plugged in when you’re not using them. These “energy vampires” account for up to 10% of total electricity consumption.
Modern households are full of devices that are constantly on standby. Televisions, game consoles, phone chargers, coffee makers, and even electric toothbrushes. All these devices consume power even when you are not actively using them. Standby mode, often signaled by an inconspicuous red light, ensures quick power-up, but that’s exactly what makes it an invisible energy guzzler. This small but continuous collection can add up to hundreds of crowns per year.
Watch the video from the YT creation of the channel dTest magazine – Questions and answers: How to save on energy bills?
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The biggest culprits are devices with large adapters or older electronics that weren’t designed with energy savings in mind. For example, phone chargers are still drawing power even when no phone is connected to them. The same goes for laptops or game consoles that stay plugged in after being turned off. For example, if you have an older microwave oven with a digital display, know that its timer may use more energy than heating the food itself.
Air conditioners, audio systems and coffee machines are also significant energy “thieves”. Even when turned off, air conditioners may consume energy to maintain settings or standby mode.
Similarly, coffee makers, especially those with keep-warm or timer functions, still draw electricity. You also probably don’t unplug the radio, especially if you control it with a remote control. Even when turned off, it remains in standby mode and still consumes power to be ready to receive a signal.
How to defend against these losses
The first step is to realize where you have such devices in your home. Go through the rooms and identify anything that remains permanently plugged in. If you have a TV, game console or Wi-Fi router at home, try to think about whether everything has to be in operation all the time. Unplug the chargers immediately after recharging the device and completely disconnect unused appliances from the mains.
Another solution can be the use of cut-out extension cables. These allow you to turn off several devices with one press. This is especially useful for work areas where you have a computer, printer and other electronics plugged in. There are also smart plugs that can be programmed to turn off at certain times, such as at night when everything is asleep, including your appliances.
Energy efficiency will also be supported by investments in more modern appliances. New types of electronics are often designed to have minimal standby power. But that doesn’t mean you can leave them plugged in forever. Even modern devices that appear to be energy-efficient can consume energy unnecessarily when they are permanently connected to the network.
Enlightenment in the entire household is also an important step. Teach all family members to take turns turning off and unplugging chargers, lights and devices that are not needed. For example, children often leave game consoles on standby to turn them on faster. Just explain to them that if they really turn off the console, you can spend the money saved together on new games, for example.
Also consider seasonal appliances such as fans, electric blankets or Christmas lights. When you’re not using them, don’t just turn them off, but unplug them completely. Even though they don’t appear to be doing anything, they can still draw energy.
Every step you take to reduce this hidden consumption counts. At first glance, it may seem that saving a few watts is not worth the effort. But when you add it all up, you might be surprised how much lower your electricity bill can be.
Source: eltiempo.com
