Did you know that keeping adaptors and power chargers plugged into outlets in a home costs the average homeowner $100 per year on their utility bills? And keeping a computer running without enabling its power management features can cost $75 or more per year in energy costs. These are examples of a home’s energy vampires, or standby power drains that silently suck electricity and result in higher utility bills and wasted environmental resources. You can see significant energy savings by paying attention to these devices.

When a clock radio displays the time in lighted letters but isn’t playing music or a radio station, that’s standby power. In this case, there’s a useful function being performed, but if a cell phone or power tool charger or A/C adaptors for electronic keyboards and toys are plugged in around the clock, power is still being held in standby mode without any useful function being performed.

To stop the energy vampires in your home, buy Energy Star-rated products that have energy consumption controls built right in and unplug all chargers and adaptors from outlets when not in use. Also, use power strips or a UPS unit to host multiple devices. Power strips and UPS units not only disconnect the power supply with one switch, saving time, electricity, and money — they also prevent power fluctuations from damaging valuable electronic equipment. Each strip or unit can be dedicated to one type of systems, such as your computer and its peripherals or your home entertainment system. Be aware that equipment set on timers to record programs won’t function without being plugged in and on standby power.

Computers drain power and are big standby power culprits if they aren’t set to hibernate or standby when not in use. Desktop monitors can be set to turn off as well. Check your computer’s settings to see if your system is set properly.

For more information about Energy Star products and standby power solutions, contact Pipe Works Services, Inc. We’ve been proudly serving Northern New Jersey for more than 10 years.

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