…brought to you by Efficient Planet
Buy a power strip!
Did you know that your appliances use electricity even when they are turned off? It’s called a phantom load, or vampire power. As much as 75 percent of the electricity used to power home electronics and small appliances is used while they’re turned off, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The Ohio Consumers Council estimates that it costs consumers $40 to $100 a year.
The simple solution is to unplug small appliances and electronics when you aren’t using them. Or plug them into a power strip and turn the power strip off when you aren’t using those items. Power strips cost $10 to $20 each and can save you up to $100 a year, depending on how many electronics you have. Simply unplugging one television, computer monitor and fax machine when you aren’t using it will save you about $6 a month.
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