Energy Fact: Does Unplugging Appliances Really Save Electricity?

In an effort to lower energy bills and reduce their impact on the environment, more and more homeowners are looking for ways to save electricity by making changes to their daily habits and routines. While there are many myths surrounding electricity usage there are a number of measures you can take to realize true savings—but does unplugging appliances really save electricity? Mr. Appliance® has the answer.

How Much Electricity Do You Save By Unplugging Appliances?

If you look around your home, you are likely to see a multitude of small appliances and electronics that are left plugged in around the clock. Surprisingly, even those that are turned off after use may continue to draw power, and the only way to truly power down many appliances is by pulling the plug.

"Phantom energy" is a term used to describe this behind the scenes usage and is typically reserved for appliances that have a timer, digital clock or display, standby mode, and other energy-consuming features. Exactly how much unplugging unused appliances will save you each month depends on a number of factors, including the type and size of the item in question. For example, unplugging your coffeemaker or microwave is unlikely to make a significant difference, while a computer, modem, and monitor, TV, phone charger, or cable box all consume a considerable amount of electricity even when not in use.

Energy experts estimate that approximately 10 percent of the average household electric bill is due to phantom energy loads, and by making some small changes you can instantly reduce your monthly payments. You can maximize your savings by figuring out which appliances in your home utilize the most energy when powered down by using a handheld electricity monitor or a power usage monitor that plugs into the wall. By plugging the appliance into the monitor, you can obtain an accurate reading on electricity usage to determine which appliances are the biggest drain on resources, and making it a habit to unplug them after each use.

Energy Saving Tips for Appliance Usage

Improve the energy efficiency of your home and lower your monthly bills with these energy-saving tips:

Get Smart

Smart home technology enables users to perform a number of household functions from their devices, such as a smartphone or tablet. Smart plugs are a cost-effective solution to help reduce energy usage that allows you to control the flow of power to appliances and electronics remotely. Most models incorporate a timer or some form of scheduling so you can program the plug to turn off your appliance at the same time each day, and energy monitoring capabilities.

Make a Group Effort

Plug multiple items such as your TV and cable box into a power strip or smart Wi-Fi power strip and turn off the strip manually or remotely at the end of each day.

Read Labels

When upgrading your appliances look for those that list the standby power usage and choose those with lower numbers.

Take Care

Appliances that are professionally maintained and kept in good repair perform the most efficiently and are likely to last longer.

Schedule Appliance Repair Today!

Want to save even more money at home? Neighbourly has 10 strategies to help you achieve your goals. For all your appliance repair and maintenance needs, you can count on the team of experienced professionals at Mr. Appliance. Our highly trained technicians will help keep your appliances operating at peak performance to maximize energy efficiency and ensure years of reliable use.