6 Energy-Saving Tips for Electronics

In and around your home you may be using energy that you don’t even know about– energy that you are paying for! Read below to learn what electronics are adding to your hydro bill, and what you can do to reduce your energy consumption and help out the environment.

3 Energy-Saving Tips for Computers

Computers, and especially laser printers, can really run up your power bill – even when you don’t use them. Follow these easy tips to save some bucks:

• While your computer is running, make sure the energy-saver option on. This will help to reduce your electricity bill.
• Switch off your computer when you won’t be using it for a while. Turning off your computer if you are going to be away for more than an hour will save you more power in one hour than what is needed to power one 14 watt compact fluorescent lamp for 24 hours.
• Switch off your printer when not in use. Some printers take as much power as 660 watts to run, the same as if you were to keep a small microwave oven cooking continuously.

Phantom Power – What It Is, and How You Can Eliminate It

Did you know that your electonics are costing you money even when you’re not using them? “Phantom power” is power that flows to your electronics when they’re “off” or “on standby”. Here’s what you can do to stop (or at least reduce) that flow:

• Purchase a power bar with a timer to turn off computers and their printers, speakers, scanners, etc. at times when you’re not likely to use your electronics. Spot the phantoms by looking for the telltale red and green lights on your equipment – if you see one glowing, the power is still flowing!
• Many small items like clocks or telephone answering machines which you may choose never to turn off are still costing you money. A 7 watt clock or answering machine, adds up to 0.168 kWh per day.
• Electronics like TV’s, Video Cassette recorders, DVD players and Cable TV converters are, more often than not, plugged in all the time and stay in standby mode eating up power. By putting them on a power bar with a power switch you can often save in excess of 0.6 kWh per day (20 kwh/month).

Don’t let your electronics eat up energy that you will never use but definitely pay for. Switch off, unplug, and save on your next bill!