The rising energy prices across the globe has significantly increased the living cost. Amid such inflation, saving every penny is enterprising. Doing so while also conserving energy is a definite bonus. According to British Gas study, shutting off so-called vampire gadgets may save UK families an average of £147 per year, and also prevent wastage of several units of energy.
What are Vampire Devices?
Vampire Devices are electronics that drain power even when they are on standby. These are some of the most used devices and so are hanging around all day sucking up energy and forcing you to recharge them. They don’t even have to be turned on to do this; as long as they’re plugged in, they’re sucking up valuable energy that. Consumers should think about which devices they leave turned on, according to the Energy Saving Trust (EST). The average home wastes around 10% of its overall energy consumption on energy vampires, or power that isn’t needed.
In order to avoid wasting this much of energy, let us identify these energy vampires and figure out ways to save the said energy.
Computer Equipment
According to research from the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Standby Project, keeping a desktop computer hooked in and in stand-by mode can cost more than $23 per year. On average, the monitor adds $1.53 per year, and the modem or router adds approximately $7 per year.
It doesn’t seem like much at first, but it’s easy to see how quickly it adds up. Even a simple computer setup can cost more than $30 per year, and that’s for just one machine. Electronics around the house are engaged in the same energy-vampire activity.
Television and Set-top boxes
Another major energy eater is a television. If televisions are left plugged in while turned off, they can cost more than $20 per year in wasted energy. In order to keep the prices down, LEDs are more energy-efficient than LCDs or plasmas.
The set-top box is much worse. If the digital cable boxes plugged in all of the time, they will cost approximately $50 per year. Other set-top boxes, such as Apple TV, are more energy efficient.
Speakers and Sound Systems
When audio systems are left plugged in, they can cost nearly $10 per year, and audio input devices such as CD players and record players can cost another $5 or more. Subwoofers and audio receivers consume a lot of energy while they’re not in use.
How to Identify such Energy Vampires in your Home
While certain devices and appliances are more energy efficient than others, there are a few things to look out for if you don’t want to waste a lot of energy.
Even when turned off, any device with an external power supply is likely to use more energy than you’d expect. Similarly, because they are continually on and waiting for input, devices that employ a remote control are generally energy vampires. Anything with a continuous display, such as a microwave clock or a screensaver on your TV or computer, is constantly consuming energy.
Examine your home for these devices and consider whether they truly need to be plugged in all the time. Although there is a convenience element at work, the extra step of plugging and disconnecting your gadget could save you a lot of money in the long run.
