When it comes to managing household energy use, we often overlook the impact of our appliances. Did you know that these everyday necessities can account for around 30% of your household energy consumption? Surprising, isn’t it? But here’s the real kicker – many of these appliances continue to use power even when they’re in standby mode. This might not seem like a big deal, but those little trickles of electricity start to add up.
Does switching off power at the wall socket actually make a difference?
Yes it does. Consumer group Choice found in a comparison study that if you have appliances that are inefficient you could be paying over $100 a year for unnecessary power.
In fact, appliances that aren’t switched off properly can account for about 3 per cent of your energy bill.
Appliances with some of the highest standby costs were:
- Printers
- Washing Machines
- Wirelless Routers
- Speaker Docks
- Microwave ovens
- Clothes Dryer
- Video game consoles
- Laptops
With the increasing popularity of devices like smart TVs and smart speakers, the number of appliances in Australian homes that are ‘always on’ is rising all the time.
While devices on stand-by do not consumer much energy individually, when you consider the vast number of appliances (phone charges, laptops, cordless vacuums etc.) around the house it all starts to add up.
In simple terms, if you don’t need a certain thing actively turned on at the power point, turn it off at the power point.
How do you tell if something is using standby power?
Generally, most devices will have a light or some other indication they are on standby.
Another method is to check if you can feel heat coming from an appliance that you aren’t using, such as a charger when it’s not attached to an appliance.
So, in short: Yes, it’s a good idea to switch off appliances at the wall when they’re not in use and especially when you go on holiday.
It’s not going to be the silver-bullet to make you rich, but it will save you money – and it’s better for the environment.
