Green tip #7 : Audit your appliances
Posted by DavidM in Green tips | 3 December 2006
Up to 10% of the average household electricity bill is spent on powering appliances that aren't being used.
So you could be damaging the environment and costing yourself money for no benefit whatsoever.
Go round your house and look at every mains-powered electrical appliance you have. Is it plugged in all the time, does it have a standby light or a clock or some other indication of power usage even when you aren't using it?
Turn TVs and other appliances off at the unit rather than the remote and ideally turn all appliances off at the wall socket to ensure they aren't draining any power.
For example, when I did my audit I found the microwave was normally used for 7 minutes a day but was powered up all day and night with a clock we never looked at.
For more on how appliances drain power have a look at Dan Fink's earlier article on energy phantoms and vampires.
