Does leaving appliances plugged in use power?

Since our articles on how much power household items use and which items use the most in your house, we’ve been inundated with questions about leaving appliances plugged in. Do they use power? If so, which are the worst culprits. Let’s answer your questions as best we can.

LEAVING APPLIANCES PLUGGED IN

We got in touch with Energy Saving Secrets to get us up to speed on how much power you’re wasting by leaving appliances plugged in. The answer may shock you.

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When you switch off an appliance, you probably assume it uses no power. But that’s incorrect. Many electrical appliances have a standby function that allows them to be turned on again quickly. This is what consumers want in our instant-gratification age.

CONVERTING FROM AC TO DC

The worst energy drainers if you’re leaving appliances plugged in are ones that have black cubes in their power lead. This is responsible for converting alternating-current (AC) into direct-current (DC) electricity. Energy Saving Secrets says these sensors and circuits inside monitor the current of the device constantly, using varying amounts of power on standby.

WHAT APPLIANCES USE STANDBY POWER?

Lots of them. Anything that has an LED display or a light. Items like a washing machine or something that has a display that’s always on. Your TV, microwave and electrical oven, too. Any household item that has a remote control, like your air conditioner or gaming console. These standby functions are burning up watts of power without you knowing about it.

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It’s difficult to say how much power these items are using without measuring them directly. But the issue isn’t each individual device, it is the cumulative effect on your electricity bill. Depending on the household, there might be upwards of 30 appliances draining power on standby. Each may only equate to R100 per year, but you multiply that by 30 and you’re R3 000 out of pocket in total. That’s a lot of money for nothing.

EXAMPLES OF STANDBY POWER LOSS

Here are some examples of power losses from leaving appliances plugged in:

HOW CAN YOU STOP POWER LOSS?

Pretty simple really, leaving appliances plugged in is costing you, so don’t do it. Here are some helpful tips that might make it easier:

• Turn off and unplug appliances that are not in use regularly.
• Use multi-plugs, so that you can disconnect everything at once.
• Use a power adaptor that takes several appliances.
• Don’t leave mobile phones charging once their charge is complete – and unplug the charger.
• Buy appliances with low-energy standby modes.

Did you find this article helpful? Do you have any energy saving tips to share with our audience? Please let us know in the comments section below.

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