Have you heard that some appliances use power when plugged in, even if they’re turned off?
I’ve heard that before, but didn’t really believe it…
Until I read an article where a family reduced their electric bill from $200 to $35 by unplugging their “vampire” appliances.
Hmmm… maybe this deserves a little more thought, and an experiment! I had nothing to lose, only savings to gain!
For one month, we committed ourselves to unplugging as many things as possible when they weren’t in use. Our starting point is the month of April, where our electric bill was $76.75. Since we’ve moved to California, our electric bill has never been higher than $80. With a “low” bill to start with, I didn’t think it would be feasible to save much. Throwing another curve ball is our climate – it’s very, very mild. Most homes don’t have air conditioning and it’s a rare occasion we use the heat during the day. If it weren’t for the kids, there’s a good chance we may not use the heat at all.
With air/heat not really an issue, the appliances became the focus. As I walked through the house, I noticed LOTS of things that were plugged in and not being used. I went through, room by room, and unplugged as many as I could.
- television (we don’t have cable, so I’m not sure why we even kept this plugged in!)
- laptop charger (unless it’s actually charging, this is just silly)
- coffee pot (our coffee brews into a carafe, meaning we don’t have a burner… once it’s brewed, there’s really no need to have it plugged in!)
- microwave
- lamps (can you believe we had some plugged in, in rooms where they rarely get turned on because we only use the room during the day?)
- toothbrush charging stations
I left the oven, dishwasher, washer and dryer plugged in (although I may start unplugging those last two). There are two lamps in the master bedroom and one in the kid’s room that I also left plugged in. I left our printer plugged in, but made an effort to turn it off when I was done (rather than allowing it to go to standby mode when I was done).
Using the unplugged items wasn’t a big deal either. We just plug in the TV when we want to watch a movie, or plug in the microwave to heat something up. Then unplug when we’re done. Presto magico!
Do you know how much our bill was next month? $56.44! We saved almost $20 (or 26%) by doing practically nothing! Former skeptic turned believer, based on first-hand experience. Why didn’t I believe (and try) sooner?!?!
Run, don’t walk, and turn off your energy-sucking appliances today!
This post is shared at Julie Cache, Learning the Frugal Life, Getting Ahead, Life as MOM
I have always wondered about this too. You’ve inspired me to take this challenge! So glad you posted!
Good luck with your experiment! I hope your results are dramatic too – please come back and leave an update!
We did the same thing and saved about 20% on our bill. Great for others to know.
Did you do it by using surge protectors or physically unplugging everything?
We went around and unplugged everything. My husband uses a surge protector in the office for his computer equipment, but that was all his idea!
I was always really suspicious of this tip whenever I saw it as well. After reading your post, I went downstairs and immediately unplugged: the toaster, the coffee bean grinder, the electric can opener, and the microwave.
I’ll be tackling the rest of the house later on today — thanks for the inspiration!
We are going into the really high electric bill season. Our bill went up $75 just from April to May! I have heard this “myth” before but have honestly been too lazy/ skeptical to try it out. I’m on a mission today and will be having a family meeting about it too!
What?! That’s amazing. Wish it were that mild here…$80 sounds like a dream (we don’t have gas at our place, though.) I’ve heard people telling me about this before, but it’s good to see some concrete numbers. Will try!
I’m wondeirng what the result of the second month of savings was? I only ask because in my state (Michigan), the only read the meter every other month – the first month would be an “estimate” based on the same month from the previous year, and the second month would be an actual bill of what was really used for the last two month. I’m not sure if this is the same in other states. Maybe I can get my hubby on board to “try” this as an experiment to see how it works – we just purchased a new house and he wasn’t too happy with the $76 bill we just got. I know we can easily get to the washer and dryer, upstairs tv hasn’t been turned on in a few weeks, but we have an over the stove microwave, so you can’t even get to the plug to unplug it, I don’t think.
Jamie,
Our meters are read monthly. We did REALLY good for two months, then completely fell off the wagon on the third month. Our lack of diligence was totally apparent on our bill and ever since we try really hard to unplug as much as we possibly can. I have noticed that unplugging the washer/dryer doesn’t make much difference for us, but there are also no lights on when it’s not in use. For the TV upstairs, even if its not in use, unplug it. You’d be surprised at the energy it still uses.
If you can’t get to the plugs easily (oven, microwave), don’t go out of your way to make it difficult on yourself. However, I have heard of some families who will plug the stove/oven/microwave into a power strip and the power strip into the wall. The strip sits on the counter and when you need the appliance(s), flip the red switch and you’re good to go!
Other sneaky items include toothbrush chargers (which are ready to go at all times, meaning they suck energy), phone chargers, camera chargers… In the “ready” status (meaning all they need to do is be attached to the item), they’re relying on some power, even if it’s just a little. Over time, that little bit adds up! ~Tiffany