Everyone we know is trying to reduce their energy consumption. If it's not for the sake of the environment, it's for the sake of their ever-increasing utility bills. Unplugging "vampire" devices that are known to suck energy even when they're turned off (we're looking at you, plasma TVs) and choosing energy-efficient appliances are good ways to save some cash. To give you a head start, DVICE rounded up the 5 specific (we're talking brands, models and sizes, here) "tech toys" that are the worst offenders.
In the market for a vacuum cleaner? How about a gaming console, or a flat screen TV?
Power suckers are all around us. If you're not careful, you might even drag one into your home from a trip to the electronics store. But if you make sure to steer clear of these 5 devices, you'll be on your way to energy nirvana:
65-inch Panasonic Viera TH-65VX100U
575 watts (in operation)
Plasma TVs are notorious for being the biggest energy vampires. Choose an LCD, LED or projection model instead.
Origin Genesis Gaming PC
585 watts (in operation)
Gaming PCs are all powerful, this one just happens to be the worst offender. If you don't need the braun, skip it and buy a more modest device.
Dyson DC23 Canister Vacuum
1,400 watts (while on)
Dyson makes stellar vacuums for sure. This one is the most powerful (220 airwatts of suction) and the one that uses the most energy. Pick a different Dyson if you're just using it to tidy up.
Xbox 360 Elite
165 watts (while playing a game)
Both the XBox 360 and the PS3 use way more energy than the Wii (While on, the Wii only uses about 20 watts).
Life Fitness Platinum Treadmill
2,400 watts (estimated) (in use)
Using an at-home treadmill regularly can be solely responsible for $7 or more on your bill every month. Make running outside part of your save-money plan and use the treadmill only when it's cold or raining.
(Image: Flickr user slorp under license from Creative Commons.)
MORE WAYS TO SAVE ENERGY:
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- How Much Power Does Your Gaming Console Use?
- Do Motion-Sensor Lights Save Energy and Money?
- Four Easy Ways Of Saving Electricity and Reducing Your Utilities Bill
- Roundup: The Best How-to Tips On How to Save Money In Your Home
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Comments (11)
Yay for ellipticals, which don't even have to be plugged in!
What about "vampire power" suckers? Cable boxes and DVRs are huge offenders of this. Even in "off" mode there is little to no difference in power usage.
When else do you use a vacuum except to tidy up?
With 3 kiddos I never just tidy up, hehe.
I started using surge protectors on all my large items, TV, DVD player, computer, etc. The ones I purchased have a little hand held remote so I don't have to bother crawling on the floor and reaching under furniture to turn them off. I also keep my microwave & toaster unplugged when not in use. Using more fans also allows me to keep my AC a bit higher, but still cool enough for the hot Fresno weather.
Just those small changes dropped my electric bill by $10 a month in about 4 months or so. Happy dance:)
forget the power drain - who has enough room in their home for an elliptical machine that size?
There are plasma tv's out there that have lower power consumption than lcd, led, etc. Just have to look. Samsung does a 58 inch that beats the lowest powered when on the right settings.
Making use of a kill-a-watt device is a good way to identify those items that suck energy while plugged in. My cable box used almost as much energy when "off" as it did while watching tv. The bad part was if I unplugged it, it threw a hissy fit when turned back on. In the end I just got rid of cable.
One thing that I've found to not consume power are wall warts, aka, power adapters. I've seen lots of blogs mention that they suck power even when not plugged in to the device they're meant to charge but so far the kill-a-watt says no. If there is any current being drawn, it's too little to be measured by the kill-a-watt. It wouldn't surprise me though if there are some power adapters, especially for older devices, that do consume power even when not charging.
"In the end I just got rid of cable."
Best solution ever!
Also, good to know about kill-a-watt and power adapters. A lot of my Apple laptop and iPod plugs are such a pain to get in and out of the wall, I tend to just leave them in. The thought of them pointlessly sucking power has been weighing on me. Maybe I'll check them out with kill-a-watt. It's hard to believe there's not a rational solution to the vampire electronics issue. I mean, this is just a technology problem, right?
I like thesmilequeen's idea of remote controlled surge protectors better than what I've been doing with my plasma tv and electronics chargers. I plug those things into a thing that itself plugs into the wall. The thingee, about $6 at Rite-Aid, has a switch I can flip to cut off power to it. But you do have to get behind the furniture the tv and chargers are on to flip the switch.
I have been looking for information on how to how to lower electric bill and stumbled on this post. I had no idea that vacuum cleaners burned through so much power! We own each of these appliances and may need to consider flipping off the power every so often.