In the Green

Standby energy, also known as “energy vampire” or “leaking electricity,” is the electricity used by household appliances and other equipment that is being used when these items are off and/or not being used to perform there primary function. This energy makes up anywhere between 5-10% of a normal household electricity bill and while that’s not a high percentage, this number is thought to be growing as we rely more and more on electrically powered items.

Here are some tips for making a change in your standby energy use:

If you aren't frequently using a device, unplug it. (This works fine for the 6th TV in the guest bedroom or the VCR.) Warning, don't frequently unplug and plug in appliances because you could get electrocuted from frayed wires and plugs.

Use a switchable power strip for clusters of computer or video products. That way you can switch everything to zero with one action.

When shopping, search for low standby products. (Asking a salesperson will probably be a waste of time.) ENERGY STAR products have lower standby.

Buy a low-cost watt-meter, measure the devices in your home and take targeted action. You will certainly be surprised at what you discover and this exercise might even pay back the cost of the meter in savings. A list of watt-meters is here.

As our use of technology grows it is important to be aware of the effects of our reliance on it and how that is growing as well. It is up to individuals to take care and to take responsibility for our use of energy and one small way in doing this is to make that small effort to just unplug and stop “leaking energy.”

Courtney Utman is the Administrative Assistant at MGD Services and can be reached at cutman@mgdservices.com