Looking for simple ways to save electricity and reduce your energy bills? I’ve got you covered with these 5 easy and effective tips that will help you conserve energy and make a positive environmental impact while saving money.
Our last electric bill was for April, and it was $76.75. While that’s not super high, we still figured we could reduce it by cutting down on our energy usage. So, the next month, we committed to reducing energy use by identifying things in our house that were using too much energy. We figured out there were a few “energy vampires” sucking the life out of certain appliances and causing our energy costs to climb.
In this post, I’m going to share with you how we identified those pesky energy vampires and discovered more energy-saving tips to help you use less energy and save money!
What Are “Energy Vampires?”
Energy vampires might sound like something out of a spooky story, but they actually refer to those sneaky electronic devices in our homes that consume energy even when they’re not in use. These energy vampires are often the reason behind those unexpectedly high electricity bills.
Energy vampires are electrical appliances or devices that continue to draw power from electrical outlets even when they’re turned off or in standby mode. They include televisions, game consoles, computer monitors, phone chargers, coffee makers, and many other gadgets with a standby function. These devices often have transformers or power supplies that keep drawing small amounts of electricity to maintain features like clocks, timers, or instant-on capabilities.
How to Save Electricity: 5 Ways
While the power consumed by each individual device might seem insignificant, the collective energy drain from multiple energy vampires can add up over time, leading to a higher electricity bill. But fret not! Here’s how you can unplug those energy vampires and reduce your electricity usage:
#1 Identify the culprits:
Take a stroll through your home and keep an eye out for those sneaky energy vampires lurking in standby mode. Look for devices with little lights that stay on when they’re not in use, such as your trusty TV, game console, computer peripherals, and chargers. Identifying these culprits is the first step in reclaiming your energy and saving some cash!
I went around my house to identify the energy-draining culprits and noticed LOTS of things plugged in and unused. Here’s just a handful of items I found when I went through the house, room by room:
- 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
While having these items plugged in might not seem like a big deal, none were in use, draining unnecessary energy.
#2 Use power strips:
Power strips with switches are like the superheroes of energy savings. Simply plug those energy vampires into the power strip. With a flip of the switch, you can turn off multiple devices at once, putting an end to their power-draining antics. It’s an effortless way to cut off their power supply completely and stop the unnecessary drain on your electricity bill.
We use a power strip for the entertainment center. The TV, Wii, and DVD player are all plugged into it. When we want to watch something or play a game, we simply flip the red switch and turn it on. The TV and Wii turn on automatically. The DVD player is the least used electronic, but since it still requires the power button to be pressed, we’re not wasting money by having it plugged into the power strip.
#3 Unplug when not in use:
If power strips aren’t your thing, or you have a few lone energy vampires that resist the strip’s charm, don’t worry! A simple and effective solution is to unplug these energy-sucking culprits when they’re not in use. By disconnecting them from the outlet, you’re preventing any standby power consumption and taking a stand against wasted energy. Plus, it’s a quick and easy habit to develop that can lead to significant savings.
#4 Consider smart power strips:
Smart power strips are like energy-saving wizards that automatically detect when a device is in standby mode or not in use. They work their magic by cutting off power to these devices without you lifting a finger.
#5 Opt for energy-efficient alternatives:
When it’s time to upgrade your home appliances or add some new gadgets to your collection, keep an eye out for the energy-efficient superheroes of the electronic world.
Here are some home improvement examples:
- LED Light Bulbs: Replace traditional incandescent bulbs with energy-saving LED bulbs. They use significantly less energy and last much longer.
- Energy Star Appliances: When shopping for new home or kitchen appliances, look for the Energy Star label. These appliances, like a hot water heater or washing machine, are designed to be energy-efficient products, reducing both energy consumption and your electricity bill.
- Smart Thermostats: The air conditioner and heater can draw a lot of energy. Upgrade to a smart programmable thermostat that allows you to easily program and control the temperature in your home. They optimize energy usage by adjusting settings based on your schedule and can lead to substantial seasonal energy savings.
- Energy-Efficient Windows: Check for air leaks in your windows and doors. Add a weather strip to cover leaks or consider upgrading to energy-efficient windows, which are designed to minimize heat transfer. They help regulate indoor temperature, reducing the load on your heating and cooling systems.
- Solar Panels: Explore the option of installing solar panels to generate your own renewable energy. While it requires an initial investment, solar panels can significantly reduce your reliance on the grid and lower your electricity bills in the long run.
- Energy-Efficient HVAC Systems: If your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is outdated, consider upgrading to an energy-efficient model. These systems are designed to use less energy while maintaining a comfortable indoor environment.
- Power-saving Settings on Electronics: Take advantage of power-saving settings on your electronic devices, such as computers, TVs, and gaming consoles. These settings help reduce energy consumption during periods of inactivity.
Some appliances can’t be unplugged, like the dishwasher, refrigerator, washer and dryer. Using energy-efficient products will help reduce the utility bills.
Additional Ways to Save Energy
- Consider using cold water for washing dishes and doing laundry to reduce the energy put out by the hot water heater.
- Install ceiling fans using a stand-up fan in bedrooms and main living areas to cut back on A/C use.
- Keep your air ducts clean so that the air moves efficiently through the vents.
- Keep your blinds or drapes closed during the hottest parts of the day for better insulation against direct sunlight.
FAQs on Ways to Save Electricity
Is it inconvenient to unplug appliances constantly?
The biggest issue people have when I share this great way to save electricity is that they think unplugging items is inconvenient.
Honestly, I haven’t found this to be the case at all.
Fortunately, most of our plugs are not behind heavy furniture, but I know that’s an issue for some families. This surge protector with an 8-foot cord might be helpful. Or, if you have a very large entertainment center, consider this massive 3-foot-long power strip on a 15-foot cord!
Do I need to replace all my appliances to save electricity?
Not necessarily. While energy-efficient appliances are great for long-term energy savings, you can still make a significant impact by adjusting your energy habits. Unplugging devices, using natural light, and running appliances with full loads are simple changes that can save energy regardless of the appliances you have.
How much money can I save by implementing these energy-saving tips?
The amount of money you can save depends on various factors, such as your current energy consumption, the size of your home, and local electricity rates. However, implementing these tips consistently can lead to noticeable reductions in your electricity bills over time, putting more money back in your pocket.
For example, our next electric bill was just $56.44!
We saved 26 percent less on our electricity bill in a month! For simply unplugging and/or turning off items we didn’t use. That’s a big difference!
Saving Electricity
By implementing these simple and effective tips, you can reduce energy bills and have a positive impact on the environment. Lower costs, a smaller carbon footprint, and a sustainable lifestyle are within reach. If you try any of these simple tips, let me know in the comments below!
Lauren
I always wondered about this.. I am totally going to try it!
Tiffany
Go for it Lauren!
Lauren
Wow how is your power bill so cheap we live in Alabama and spend about $200 a month min but we do have window units and live in an older trailer and my bf won’t let me trun off or unplug alot of stuff 🙁 says it doesn’t matter to the bill
Miranda
Tell him you want to make a game of it for a month to see if it does matter to the bill.
mary ann buck
We have saved a lot of money, just by changing our light bulbs to long life LED’s.(Walmart) They provide much better, brighter lighting….love them!
Tamah
I always unplug the washer and dryer but I will be going around unplugging other items!
Melissa
i did this last month, just turning off TV, wifi, cable box & play station every night and the fans off at night in living room and kitchen saved $10!! $65 down to $55! So I’m going to unplug more phantom suckers this week. ?
Tiffany
Oh my goodness, that’s awesome Melissa! Way to go!!
Meagan
I never thought about the washer and dryer! I haven’t used my dryer for months but it’s been plugged in.
Tiffany
Unplug away Meagan!!!
Tam
Is couple of years ago, I unplugged everything I possibly could after a large bill for the last time much to an argument from my Electrician Husband. It really does work. I unplugged an alarm we never use, the washing machine, dryer, lamps, kettle and even turn the oven off at the circuit breaker. Guess what? Electricity bill from $800 to $250!!!!!
Tiffany
Wow!! That’s a huge difference!
mamalv
Hi
here is really difficult to unplug the huge dryer or stove plug, and since they still draw electricity,this is what I do
1. Dryer: at the fuse box we have 2 – 30’s that I take out and keep near by for when I need to use the dryer (heavy blankets etc in winter)
2. Stove: I do not unplug or take the fuses out at the main box……instead I find only mostly only use 2 burners (they stay plugged in) …. the other burner and oven/light fuses… I take out and keep in a small container by the stove) These fuses are located at the top of the stove (just lift up) Yes it was really weird and inconvient at first, but I got use to it.
3. Our dishwasher plugs in, in the basement in a difficult spot…. so its on a bar which is only turned on when I need it.
Note: we do all of the above as well.
Michelle
I unplug elec toothbrushes, make my daughter unplug straighteners, etc. We unplug other chargers. But there is no way I could ever reach the washer and dryer to unplug them. Or the tv on my wall unit entertainment center. The above range micro with the clock in it has to stay plugged in. But we are big advocates for never leaving lights on. We don’t turn on every light in the house at night. We open blinds during the day in the winter. Close them when the sun is blaring in in the summer. Turn off ceiling fans when not in rooms. We do our best to conserve energy.
Cindy
Hello, I read your article on saving on your electricity bill, and I couldn’t agree more, I have been doing this for years now, another huge $ saver I believe in our area of Florida is doing your laundry, drying & dishwashing on off peak hours, which is after 7:00p.m.but ‘I’ve always believed in saving money without giving up very much time & effort, and it’s paid me back ten fold! being frugal is being very smart, why not put the savings in your pocket than in theirs. I have always set my dishwasher on non drying method, open the door & let it air dry, it’s a no brainer, air is free why use your heater to waste more power… hope this has helped you or your readers, keep up the good work in spreading the word, maybe more of us, can make a difference in some small way, oh yes, always take my canvas bags with me to the grocery store, instead of those plastic bags, I always recycle those & bring them to a consignment, thrift, store for them so they can keep there costs down. Best regards, Cindy
Shauna
I am definitely putting this into play this weekend! We have a big 50″ tv along with receiver and dvd player that usually only gets watched in the evenings, and our main pc could definitely be turned off, as well as the microwave, and the toaster… hmm, what else can I turn off…?
Shauna
Excuse me, unplug, not turn off… got a little excited there for a minute!
Tiffany
You’d be so surprised at how much you can unplug Shauna! A walk through the house is definitely needed!
Samantha
That’s awesome! We might try this….we wouldn’t be able to unplug our TV since we have cable and it would take 10-30 minutes to reboot each time lol.
Tiffany
You know what Samantha – just turning it off before you go to bed would make a HUGE difference. You don’t watch when you’re sleeping anyway, right? 😉 Just plug it back in, in the morning as part of a coffee (or tea or whatever) routine and you’ll see savings there too!
Courtney
Oooo. I’ve heard this too but I had no idea it could lead to such huge savings. Going home and unplugging all the things!!!
Tiffany
🙂
julie
Great article (I know I am late )and I think I will go around the house to see what I can unplug like you did. I wanted to mention that in Australia they understood that a long time ago and all have wall plug with on/off switches so they don’t need to unplug, they only need to turn off the switch when they are done with the microwave or other appliances.
Tiffany
I didn’t know that about Australia! I think we could learn a thing or two. 😉
jean
When we lived in Scotland, they had the wall switches that also turned off the appliances. Worked great. We didn’t use the dryer much either. We hung the clothes over the radiators. The heat was on most of the time due to the cold and damp weather throughout the year.
Autumn
Oh – definitely trying this for the rest of September. Our Florida condo costs us roughly $190.00 per month in electricity! A/C is not expendable when it’s 95 degrees out, but I think every appliance in our home is left plugged in.
My husband’s going to think I’m extremely neurotic when he tries to switch on the TV or coffee pot and finds it unplugged 🙂
Thanks for the article, I’m new to Crumbs. Love it.
Tiffany
Good luck Autumn! The hard work pays off, and then seeing the lower bill entices you to keep going. It’s a bottom-kicker when you forget and the bill goes back up, lol. He may think you’re crazy, but the proof is in the pudding!
Cliff
Interesting post, as I’ve had my doubts about just how much power these things can use. Our electricity use habits are a little different from average (for instance, turning off certain computers is not an option for us), but I may start looking for things that don’t need to stay plugged in.
I would like to note, however, that if your lamps have physical switches, unplugging them will make no difference. If you turn or push a knob, pull a chain, or turn a little clicking wheel, that activates a mechanical link. If that mechanical link isn’t made, electricity simply cannot flow through the device, therefore it draws no power. It would be like an extension cord — on its own, it doesn’t draw power.
Electronic devices are different because they have power supplies or electronic/digital switches that draw small amounts of electricity to monitor for a power-on signal. Phone and laptop chargers draw power to light up their LEDs, or in some cases due to the inefficient transformer components they contain. These are very small uses of electricity, but like you say, in a tech-heavy home, it could add up.
Mary B
You are right. Lamps do not draw power when off. No need to unplug them. I suspect that several other things are in the same category.
When home were first wired for electricity here over 60 years ago, my Grandmother’s sister was diligent about making sure all outlets had something plugged in, so the electricity would not leak out into the room.
Using a Kill-o-Watt meter would soon answer the question of which items should be unplugged, and which do not require the extra hassle.
Jamie
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.
Tiffany
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
femmefrugality
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!
Krissy
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!
Jennifer @ Spend Less, Shop More
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!
Tiffany
Good luck with your experiment! I hope your results are dramatic too – please come back and leave an update!
Belinda
Hi Tiffany, I’ve been doing this for years. Also following the kids through the house to ensure they turn off lights in rooms they’re not in any longer. One thing I wanted to let you know is that there are power strips out there now that allow you to plug something like your TV into the master slot, and the other appliances like DVD player, wii, etc won’t come on unless the TV is on. When you turn off the TV, they go off as well. This has been quite a cost saver of the span of a year. It also makes it so that I don’t have to unplug everything that’s attached to the TV. Mine are made by Rocketfish, but there are other companies that make them as well.
Tiffany
I had no idea power strips got so technical – thanks for sharing Belinda!
Pat
They are getting better all the time. I have several that have master plugs and one with a switch that u can stick to a wall anywhere u want and shut off the switch remotely. So I have wifi and router and all that internet stuff upstairs. Switch downstairs by door. Hit switch when u leave saving money cuz all those electronics are off.
Fay Byrd
Tiffany, you must live somewhere along the California coast because in the Central Valley from the Tehachipi Mountains at the bottom of the “Grapevine” to over 600 miles north to the foot of Mt. Shasta our winter temps can go to freezing and to 116 degrees F or more We absolutely must have both heating and air conditioning. Spring last about 3 weeks and summer can last into late October. Also unplugging a lamp, unless it is a touch-on lamp makes no sense. The same applies to toasters, washer and dryers, anything that must be turned on with any kind of a switch. If there is a little red, green, blue….whatever light on, it is drawing power, so unplug it. If you go to the trouble to unplug a lamp, you might as well get a step ladder and unskrew your overhead lights, it would accomplish the same thing. If a switch is off, no power is being used…..period!
Tiffany
Hi Fay – I did used to live on the California coast, and now we’re in Georgia. I haven’t tested unplugging one lamp versus not, as we unplugged everything all at the same time. You’re welcome to do as much, or as little, unplugging as you’d like!
Mackenzie Foust
TIffany, you live in Georgia and you have no AC?! Bless your hearts!!! 🙂
Tiffany
LOL – We live in Georgia now MacKenzie and we have AC. This post was written when we lived in California and did NOT have AC. It was 68 and partly sunny year round there. 🙂
Val
It still has trickle down electric going to it!
Try it for 1 month
Mary Katherine
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?
Tiffany
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!
April
Does a surge protector prevent power from being leached on it’s own? Or do you have to switch it off? Thanks for this post! It was really interesting!
Tiffany
Are you talking about the power strips with the switches? If so, ours is red and lights up to indicate it’s receiving power (and therefore sending power to other devices). If it lights up, it means power is being leached to it too, so we shut it off. You’re most welcome April! It’s a fun experiment to conduct in the house. 🙂
Jennifer
I have a question about the use of light switches and power strips — for this to truly work, wouldn’t you need to unplug things which a switch actives at the outlet/s, as well as to unplug power strips?
Thanks! I love this idea!! 🙂
Tiffany
Hi Jennifer! The switch on the power strip stops the continuous flow of electricity, so you don’t need to unplug it, just switch it off.