Excessive Consumption By Design and For Convenience
I read this piece by David Pogue, a technology writer for The New York Times. In it he notes that 25% of the electricity used by appliances, computers, TV, etc. is used while they are "off." His solution is to connect them through power strips so that one flick will turn off a brace of wattage guzzlers.
Reading that, I pictured my living room as it is right now. The following items are using electricity though the components are all turned off: TV, satellite receiver, home theater, router (it has no off switch) and two powered computer external speakers (no switch). In the kitchen/bath/utility rooms: refrigerator, microwave (so as to power the clock which is usually blinking "12:00"), water heater, alarm and two clocks.
In my office, I power down the computer and scanner when I leave; but, the phone still uses electricity to power the display and the printer has no off switch.
There's nothing I can do about some of the consumption; but, I can use the power strips in the office and my living room at home. We'll see how long my resolve lasts.
3 comments:
We've gotten in the habit of unplugging every electronic device when we aren't using it, but it's not to save energy- that's just a bonus.
Where I live the power supply is ridiculously unreliable, and we've lost thousands of dollars worth of electronics to power surges and brown-outs. They're unplugged for their own protection.
I'll give you a day. You tell me if I'm wrong. It takes forever to go around unplugging stuff and then, the next morning for example, realize that the coffee maker was not really on and your coffee is not ready BECAUSE, not only do we have to get into the habit of UNPLUGGING, we also have to get into the habit of PLUGGING BACK IN. The power strips are an eyesore also. I do my best but the resolve comes and goes. I know I'll be given little electric shocks in punishment during my afterlife for all this wastefulness. There has to be another way.
You will also get tired of reprograming everything.
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