Unplugging Appliances to Save Energy: Myth or Fact?

To Unplug or Not to Unplug?

Most of us have heard that you can save money on your energy bills by unplugging appliances that are not in use. But how much truth is there to this tip? Is it like turning in recycled aluminum cans, where you can save them for a year, cash them in, and go home with a whopping $8 in savings?

While that particular answer is no, saving energy costs by unplugging your appliances is far from a myth! While you’re not going to necessarily get rich off unplugging your phone chargers, it can save you money that adds up to more than simple pocket change.

Below, we’ll fill you in on some more tips for saving energy costs that are as simple as pulling a plug from the wall.

Why Does Unplugging Appliances Save Money?

One misconception is that simply turning off appliances is enough to save energy costs. While it is true that appliances burn more energy when they are being used—such as when the dryer in running—an appliance can still “leech” energy without even being turned on or used.

For example, your toaster can still be drawing energy through its plug, even while no bread is being toasted. Likewise, cell phone chargers pull energy, even when there is no phone plugged into it.

How Much Energy—and Money—Can You Actually Save?

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that you can save nearly 10% of your energy costs by regularly unplugging the appliances they call “energy vampires”.

Ten percent may not sound like a ton, but when you consider your total costs for a month, a quarter, or the year, it can be substantial savings—especially for a task that’s so simple and easy to complete. The agency encourages developing a habit of unplugging your appliances, just the way we turn lights off when we leave a room or leave home. It’s such a small expenditure of your mental and physical efforts while making a difference to save on energy. Plus, it’s better for the environment, too!

Tips and Tricks to Make Unplugging Even Easier!

While unplugging your appliances is simple in and of itself, if you’re trying to do it on a larger scale, all throughout your home and on a daily basis, there are a few tips that can make the task even easier, such as:

• Using a power-strip, or smart power-strip: Turning a power strip off with a flick of the button can about the same impact as unplugging individual appliances. Now, instead of plugging and unplugging your favorite gadgets regularly, you can just click the switch instead. Yes, the power strip itself does “sip” some energy to waste, but it’s still a net gain when you consider the energy saved from the appliances plugged into the strip.
• Paying attention to the biggest culprits: Not all energy vampires are created equal. Surprisingly, cell phones use the most energy when they are plugged in, but fully charged! That’s because the “charge” has nowhere to go, so to speak, and thus is wasted. Video game consoles are another notorious energy-wasting appliance.
• Upgrading appliances: Newer appliances leach less energy than older ones, on average. Just think about how expensive first-generation technologies —now considered “ancient”—used to be. The first cell phones, computers, and televisions were super pricey at the time because they used a lot of energy. Remember how long cell phone batteries used to last? These days, you get more bang for your buck with recent iterations of appliances. Be mindful to upgrade when and where you can.

Give Yourself the Power to Reduce Your Energy Costs

You have the power at your fingertips—literally—to reduce your energy costs with the flick of your wrist. Of course, if you want to really cut your costs significantly, you have additional options as well, such as choosing an energy supplier who better meets your needs when compared with your current utility provider.

At Discount Power, we make shopping for electricity and natural gas plans easy! Reach out to one of our experienced energy professionals to learn how we can help you save with convenient, fixed rate energy plans—all while reducing your carbon footprint, as ALL our current plans are 100% GREEN!

If you’re ready to check out the details of our available plans, enter your ZIP Code right on our website. Be sure to have your utility bill handy so you have access to your account information when you’re ready to roll!