How Much Money Do You Really Save by Unplugging Appliances?

Electricity is a significant expense in every household. Whether you live in an apartment, a house, or a unit, you are probably paying quite a lot for it. That is why you should consider saving as much energy as possible, and there is no better way of doing this than unplugging appliances after they’re done being used. But how much money do you actually save by unplugging? Let’s find out.

Do Unplugging Appliances Really Help to Save Money?

Many appliances draw idle power when they’re not turned on, which means the appliance is still drawing electricity even though it’s not being used. Your computer, for example, still uses power when it’s turned off because some components are still on standby mode. If you leave your cell phone charger plugged in, even though you’re not charging your phone, it’s still drawing power from your wall socket. And your microwave, television, and other appliances draw idle power if you leave them plugged in.

The amount of idle power an appliance draws varies greatly depending on its type, but most devices will continue to draw some amount of idle power even after they’ve been turned off. And, idle power can add up to a lot of wasted money. Unplugging appliances saves you money because it stops all this idle power draw from happening.

How Much Money Do You Save by Unplugging?

A customer group Choice analysed a list of appliances in 2016 to compare the cost for plugged in when not in the use or unplugged has found that Australian households could be paying more than $100 per year for unnecessary power which can account for about 3 per cent of your energy bill.

However, the exact amount you save by unplugging depends on a lot of factors: how many appliances you’re actually unplugging, how often each of those appliances is in use, and what the electricity costs where you live.

Of course, if an appliance uses a lot of energy and gets used regularly (say, a TV), then it’s going to be more expensive for you to have it plugged in than if an appliance uses less energy and gets used rarely – like a coffee pot or microwave.

Benefits of Unplugging Your Appliances

Unplugging your appliances has a lot of benefits beyond just saving money on your monthly bill. Here are some other benefits of unplugging your appliances:

Protect Appliances against Power Surges

When an appliance is turned off but still plugged in, it’s still drawing power from the outlet. If there’s a sudden surge in voltage – say, due to bad weather – this can damage the machine or cause it to shut down unexpectedly.

Unplugging appliances also help protect them from lightning strikes and other power surges that might damage their internal circuitry or electrical components.

Reduce Energy Usage

Appliances that are plugged in but turned off draw some electricity from the outlet. This can add up over time, especially if you have several devices plugged in at once. Unplugging them reduces the amount of electricity they use. It will help keep more power out of the grid.

Reducing Carbon Emissions

Unplugging appliances is good for the environment. When you turn off an appliance that’s plugged in, it stops drawing power from the grid and stops emitting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Coal-fired power plants release large quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every day, which is responsible for trapping heat in our atmosphere and contributing to climate change. So, unplugging your appliances will help reduce pollution from them!

Reduce the Risk of Electrical Fires

Appliances that are plugged in pose a fire hazard if there’s a short circuit or malfunction in the device itself. Unplugging these devices makes it less likely that something will ignite them – and keeps your home safer for everyone who lives there!

Extend the Life of Appliances and Devices

Unplugging appliances helps extend the life of your devices and appliances. For example, if you leave a TV on standby mode or a cell phone charger plugged in all the time, then you’ll shorten its useful lifespan by reducing battery life and wear on internal components.

Unplugging can help keep them in good working order for longer than if they were left on constantly.

Energy-Saving Tips for Appliances

Here are some tips on how to reduce your energy consumption:

Unplug Appliances When Not in Use

This might seem like an obvious one, but it’s worth mentioning again. One of the best ways to save money on your energy bill is by unplugging appliances when you’re not using them. It’s a simple fix, but it can make a big difference in your monthly energy bill.

Use Power Strips

Use power strips with multiple outlets, so one switch controls everything plugged into it. That way, when you turn off the switch, all the devices connected to the power strip are shut down – including any attached electronics.

Consider Using Energy Efficient Products

Buy energy-efficient appliances. Appliances that are more energy-efficient use less electricity than their older counterparts and cost less money over time because they use less power per hour of operation than normal appliances do.

Read Labels

Not all appliances use the same amount of energy. Some appliances use more energy than others at full capacity and in idle mode. This information is usually printed on labels attached to most appliances, including TVs and computers.

Use this information to make sure you’re using the appliance in the most efficient way possible. For example, if an appliance has a high energy rating, you may want to turn it off after use or use it less frequently.

Conclusion

Hopefully, by now, you can see how much money you might be able to save by unplugging your unused appliances – but if not, there are a few things to consider. The first is how many appliances you really have that are truly unused. Some appliances might only be used once a year or only during the holidays. Others, such as a refrigerator or an entertainment center, might more regularly remain unused while still plugged in.

If you find that most of the appliances in your house are rarely ever used, then it makes sense to unplug all of them when they aren’t in use. However, if you only have a small number of appliances that tend to remain on all of the time, this might not be so beneficial.

References

• https://budgeting.thenest.com/turning-surge-protector-off-save-money-31406.html
• https://www.cnet.com/home/energy-and-utilities/if-you-want-to-save-money-and-electricity-unplug-these-home-appliances/
• https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/articles/3-easy-tips-reduce-your-standby-power-loads
• https://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/budgeting/how-much-save-unplugging-appliances.htm
• https://lifehacker.com/how-much-money-do-you-really-save-by-unplugging-applian-1848763594
• https://www.shipleyenergy.com/resources/efficiency/the-importance-of-unplugging-unused-appliances
• https://www.mrappliance.com/blog/2020/june/energy-fact-does-unplugging-appliances-really-sa/
• https://www.inspirecleanenergy.com/blog/sustainable-living/does-unplugging-appliances-save-electricity
• https://blog.directenergy.com/should-you-unplug-appliances-when-not-in-use/
• https://blog.constellation.com/2021/10/12/unplug-appliances-to-save-energy/

Written by The Original PC Doctor on 21/5/2022.