We were toasting bagels one morning when my sister was in town. As we all sat around the table to enjoy our breakfast, she mentioned to me that I should unplug my toaster oven since we weren’t using it anymore. My response was, “I turned it off, it’s OK.”

No, it isn’t OK. What I didn’t understand then that I know now is that small appliances and electronics still draw electricity when they’re plugged in – even if the power button is turned off. Common sense says if these items are drawing power when we’re not using them, why keep them plugged in?

Exactly.

The biggest energy-drainers even when they are turned off are microwave ovens, televisions, DVD players, computers, game systems, and cable and satellite TV boxes. A good solution for these items is to plug several devices into a power strip that has an on/off switch. When you flick the switch off, the power strip no longer draws electricity from the outlet.

There are many reasons to keep your appliances and electronics unplugged when you’re not using them. First and foremost, it is the responsible thing to do for the environment. Just think how good it will feel as you’re unplugging your cell phone charger that you’re doing something good for the environment today! It’s a very simple and easy thing that EVERYONE can do. Imagine if everyone in your city decided to do this one small thing how much energy we could save? How about your state? The world?

Another main reason is the reduction in your electric bill. When my sister told me that she was saving $15 – $20 each month by unplugging her microwave, cell phone charger, and her TV my first thought was “yeah right – it can’t be that much”. Others might say that’s not enough of a savings to even bother with. Oh really? Twenty dollars per month is $240 per year in savings. I can think of plenty of things I’d rather do with $240 than give it to the electric company for something I didn’t use anyway.

The truth is that if you have 10 items in your home that are plugged in and not in use, you could be wasting as much as 450,000 watts (or 4,500 kilowatts) of electricity per year! Depending on your usage and local electricity rates, that could cost you anywhere between $200 and $600 each year! Also, most utility companies charge a higher rate when you use more than a certain amount of energy, and they also charge more during summer months when electric use is higher, so that becomes an even bigger savings when you keep your electronics unplugged.

So now I understand what my sister was talking about when she told me to unplug my toaster oven. Everything stays unplugged in my house now unless it’s being used. I am happy to say that my electric bill has been reduced by a little more than $20 each month, but even prouder to say that I am doing something good for the environment today.

By: Lori Robinson