Saving Electricity

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TURNING OFF ISN'T ENOUGH...UNPLUG!

September 12, 2011

If you leave your desktop computer plugged in when you’re not using it, you’ll pay around $5.40 a month for the power it uses. Your printer costs you about the same—even when it’s turned off. Your big-screen TV and microwave oven run $2 and some change when they’re plugged in but turned off. And phone chargers, cable TV converter boxes, modems and even power tools run up a tab if you leave them plugged in when they’re not in use.

The electricity they use is called “phantom power,” and it can add up to hundreds of dollars a year.

The reason: Any device with a timer or memory chip stays “live” when you turn it off so everything remains programmed correctly. Digital cameras, coffee makers, wireless phones—all use phantom power unless you unplug them when you’re finished using them.

So if you don’t need to leave an electrical device plugged in while you’re not using it, unplug it and save yourself some money.