Here's a special treat, just in time for the upcoming Halloween holiday - a guest post by Annabelle of i [heart] mountains.What's scarier than a Halloween goblin?
Phantom Loads (bwahahaha!)
A phantom load is the energy that an appliance or piece of electronics draws down, even when it's not turned on. Taking an extra second or two to unplug electronics that you don't need to leave on--like a computer, coffee maker, toaster, TV, or phone charger--can save you some serious cash on your monthly power bill! According to Ideal Bite, 40% of the power that appliances use is consumed after they've been turned off.
At our house, just taking the time to unplug the computer and modem in the office + the coffee maker and toaster oven saves us money each month. The easiest way to set this up is to put similar electronics like a computer, modem and printer all on the same power strip and unplug the strip at night or while you're away. Some of the newer powerstrips don't even draw a phantom load if you switch them off. Check out this model. We haven't figured out how to set up the washer and dryer this way, but when our September power bill arrived and it was only for $45, we weren't complaining! Just don't unplug your fridge or hot water heater. Not worth the savings people!Also check this out: Kill a Watt electricity usage monitor if you really want to geek out and track this stuff (or don't believe me).
Next up: Yes, you really can wash the clothes on cold and no, a clothes line is not tacky.
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