Great Green Idea: Green Energy: 10 Things You Can Unplug Right Now and Help the Environment

10 Things You Can Unplug Right Now and Help the Environment

You may have come across the question of whether or not unplugging appliances really makes a dent on one's energy consumption. The answer to this is a definite "yes". Energy is still consumed even when appliances are powered off. The amount of electricity that is drawn in by powered down appliances may be considered small in comparison to the amount of energy consumed by these appliances when they're powered on. However, these small amounts of energy do add up and can make a difference not only to your annual electricity bill, but also to the availability of energy supplies.

Main Culprits - Standby Mode and Remote Control

Different appliances, however, consume different amounts of energy when plugged and powered off. Among the biggest energy culprits are those appliances that come equipped with a standby mode and remote-controlled devices that are constantly scanning the area for remote commands and signals even when they're powered off. Most of these devices are related to home entertainment and recreation. Below are five of the most commonly used devices that fall under this category.

* Television sets - the amount of energy consumed by television sets vary by the kind of screen that is installed. Those that come with an LCD screen or a Plasma screen are known to consume more energy when on standby mode as compared to those that come with CRT screens.

* DVD players - When not in use, turn off your DVD player completely using its physical switch. Turning it off through the remote control will only shift it to standby mode.

* Video game consoles - Almost all game consoles such as Xbox and PlayStation come equipped with a standby mode and can only be powered off using small switches that are inconspicuously hidden at the back or bottom of the device.

* Cable box - Digital cable boxes consume more energy than their satellite counterparts. Those that come with integrated digital video recorders, in turn, consume about twice as much power. While on standby mode, the box continues to use power to scan for remote commands and digital signals.

* Audio players - The biggest energy consumers among audio players are cd players, while standard am/fm tuners consume the least amount of energy.

Other culprits

There are also other devices that are responsible for "ghost" energy consumption. Those that come with internal clocks are known to also consume energy even when not in use. Battery chargers and computer equipment are also known culprits. To effectively conserve as much energy as you can, make sure to also unplug the following devices:

* Microwave- known to consume ghost energy that it uses to keep its internal clock running

* Air conditioner - especially those units that come with time settings for automatic power-up

* Computer - except when plugged to an AVR that's powered off

* Printer - one of the most common devices that is needlessly plugged in even when rarely used

* Laptop charger - continues to consume power even when no laptop is attached

If you're not too comfortable with unplugging these devices one at a time, consider clustering devices that are commonly used in tandem and plugging them into a single power extension cord. In this way, you can simply shut out the energy current by powering off the extension cord.