Be Energy Smart and Reduce Your Electric Bill

A friend of mine, concerned with his electricity bill,  tested the majority of the electronic devices in his house and determined that his satellite dish receiver used 35 Watts of power while turned off.  Surprised?  Many electronic components draw power even when they are not on  Another common condition that often occurs is that  devices consume substantially more power than the manufacturer's stated wattage, sometimes as much as 50% more.

If you are an environmentalist or otherwise concerned about your electric bill then you should consider testing the electronic devices in your home.  To do this you should acquire a kill a watt (or similar) power meter. You can buy a kill a watt power meter for under $25.  In some areas a meter can be borrowed for free from the public library.  Power conditions like the ones described above are easily detected with the kill a watt meter.  Simply place the power meter between the electrical device and the wall outlet.  Then monitor the device's power usage over time and when the device is in the ON and OFF state.

Some electrical components that are notoriously bad for power efficiency are:

- Satellite receivers (as mentioned above)

- HDTVs

- AC/DC power adapters

- Battery chargers

Poor electrical efficiency or unexpected power draw from these devices should be easily detectable with a suitable power meter.

The power meter will determine whether you have an issue in your home.  But to be energy smart you must also shop smart.  When shopping for electronics make sure you read the manufacturer's specifications before you buy.   Compare products to get the product with the best power efficiency.  Determine if there is an EnergyStar version of the product.  If you intend to buy second hand goods then understand that there is a higher chance the electronic component will have poor power efficiency.  Be wary when the local consumer electronics store has a sale.  They may be unloading old electronic devices with inefficient power usage.

If you are shopping for an HDTV then be aware that there is a big difference in power for various technologies.  The most power hungry HDTV technology is the Plasma display estimated at 0.35W oer square inch.  Next is the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) estimated at 0.29W per square inch.  The most power-efficient HDTV available is the microdisplay rear projector at 0.14W per square inch.  The rear projection system is therefore 2.5x as power-efficient as the Plasma display HDTV.

In summary, by testing the electronic devices in your home using a power meter and shopping wisely, you will become more energy smart and this will result in a lower electric bill.

Steve Auger is the author of the environmentally friendly blog - blogonsmog.com/ and website http://www.goinggreenformychildren.com/