As I finish my first cup of coffee this early Saturday morning, I am reminded of the latest earth-friendly improvement I have made in my habits: unplug the coffee maker.
Amid all of the articles and reports about green energy, there are also reminders that energy efficiency is a key component of the overall plan. Energy efficiency gives me hope. Although I dream of strapping solar panels to the roof and digging up the yard to put in geothermal heating, those aren’t realistic solutions for me right now.
Recently I spent some time reading about energy “leaks” from small appliances that stay plugged in. When we turn off an appliance, it may use what is being called “standby power” instead of shutting down completely. Small appliances that maintain any kind of lit display are obvious culprits (microwaves, coffee makers). Others may have those large, box-shaped transformer plugs that contain circuitry that does not shut down even though the appliance is off (chargers). Then there are the appliances that have a remote control associated with them (TV, DVD player).
Here is one source of measurements listing how much power various appliances use after we turn them off. The list of offenders includes our favorite office electronics: desktop and laptop computers, printers, and cordless phones – to name a few.
What to do? Unplug what you can when you’re finished with it. Use a power strip for office equipment that has a switch you can turn off at the end of the day. This will decrease energy waste. Keep an eye out for future developments in this area as small appliance manufacturers meet this challenge.
Now that I have virtuously unplugged my coffee maker and turned off the office power strip for over a week, it’s time for a broader search around the house. I rarely use that stereo in the family room. Does our finished basement really need its own set of cordless phones? Looks like a project for the rest of my Saturday.
A random selection of further reading:
Don’t go crazy with power strips: Power Strip Safety , Daisy Chains ; Energy efficiency: Rocky Mountain Institute ; Small appliance energy use: Consumer Energy Center