Unplugging Appliances to Save Energy: Myth or Fact?
Unplugging appliances to save energy is a common tactic that you might see on any list of energy efficiency tips. Rather than simply powering down a device, the strategy goes, it's important to physically unplug an appliance or device to disconnect the circuit and stop the flow of energy. But do you need to unplug your belongings to reduce the energy they use? Learn more about the science behind unplugging appliances to save energy, its effectiveness, and which appliances give you the biggest energy savings with this strategy.
Does Unplugging Appliances Save Electricity?
Unplugging appliances can have a small but measurable effect on your total energy savings throughout the seasons. Keeping appliances plugged in when you don't need them can add an extra $100 to your annual energy expenses. This is because many appliances and devices continue to draw energy, even when you don't want to use them. For example, any appliance with a digital clock, such as an oven, will continuously stay on to some small degree. Smart televisions you can control with an app are continuously on and waiting for a signal to show their display. Anything plugged into a power strip also continuously consumes some degree of power (as is the power strip itself).
How Much Energy Does Unplugging Appliances Save?
While you can reduce energy consumption by unplugging appliances and devices, the rewards may be too small to warrant unplugging every single appliance in your home. Some appliances that maintain a specific temperature, such as refrigerators, deep freezes, water heaters, and HVACs, may demand even more energy to return to hot or cold temperature settings after a dormant period than they require to maintain it.
Also, you may see more convenient benefits from unplugging devices and lamps rather than appliances, which often have plugs out of easy reach. When unplugging appliances to save energy, determining which electronics and appliances give you the biggest energy reductions is the smart compromise.
Electronics and Appliances You Should Unplug When Not in Use
Some of the electronics and appliances that you can easily unplug to reduce energy consumption include:
- TVs: Televisions consume a lot of energy when they're on. Turning them off is a great way to reduce energy if no one is in the room. However, even when they're off, televisions continuously consume small amounts of electricity to turn on faster, stay connected to the Internet, or stay ready for app commands.
- Computers: When computers are in sleep mode, they're still on. Fully unplugging computers allow them to fully cool down and use less electricity. Similarly, unplugging laptops from their chargers and turning them off reduces the electricity they use. Unplugging the device and then fully recharging the battery in strategic cycles can also extend the healthy lifespan of the laptop's battery.
- Toasters, coffee machines, and other kitchen appliances: Many countertop appliances continuously draw in small amounts of electricity, especially if they have digital displays. Fully unplug these devices when they aren't in use; this reduces consumption and makes them safer to handle in the event of a water spill.
- Chargers: Chargers continuously use energy, even if they aren't charging a device; you can feel the warmth of a laptop charge or box even when nothing is plugged into it. Develop a habit of fully detaching them from the sockets.
- Lamps: These electronics continually have electricity running through them, even if the switch for the light is not engaged
- Any smart devices that activate with a command, as that means they're constantly on and responsive
Consider which electronics and devices are the easiest to unplug with minimal disruption to your day-to-day routine, and start leaving them unplugged to measure the impact.
Image Credits: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock
