Efficient Electronics
When you are ready to purchase new electronic items such as televisions, computers and monitors, make sure they are ENERGY STARŪ rated. Seattle City Light has partnered with local manufacturers and retailers to promote energy-efficient electronics to customers. Click here for purchasing tips and a list of participating retailers.
"Energy vampires" are products in your home that suck energy even when they are supposedly turned off. This energy is sometimes called standby power. While standby power is sometimes useful for remote controls, clock displays, and timers, in other cases it is simply wasted power as a result of leaving an electronic device or power adapter plugged in.
Think about all the charging devices that stay plugged in. Even though the device might be charged up, the charger is still drawing power. The average U.S. household spends $100 per year to power devices while they are off, or in standby mode.
To slay the energy vampires in your house, follow these tips:
- Enable the power management settings on your computer and monitor, so they go into power-save mode when not in use. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
- Use a power strip as a central turn off point for your appliances. Power strips completely disconnect the power supply. You can use one for your computer and all peripheral equipment, and another for your home electronics (TV, VCR, DVD, stereo, gaming). Keep in mind though that if you've set a timer to wake up a product, such as programming a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) to record a program, then the product must remain plugged in -- and able to draw standby power -- to function as intended.
- Unplug your chargers: cell phone, camera, toy and battery chargers draw power even if they are no longer charging something.
- Look for the ENERGY STAR label when shopping. ENERGY STAR-qualified products consume less power in standby mode than other products in the same category.
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