Save up to $80 a year by eliminating the electricity vampires

We’re all guilty of it. We plug in our phones to charge and then grab it off the charger as we run out the door, not bothering to unplug it from the wall. Or what about our fully charged lap tops that we leave plugged in? These common items, among many others in our homes, suck pricey energy from our homes with their fang like prongs. If we just make a few changes, we can save on our electricity bills as well as reducing pounds of CO2.

One of the best ways to reduce your energy usage is to go around your home and unplug appliances that are not in use. There are many items, especially kitchen appliances, which remain plugged in but may not be used frequently. Getting in the habit of plugging in an appliance when you need it and unplugging it when you’re done will eventually feel natural and can save you lots of wasted energy.

While unplugging chargers when not in use should be easy enough to do, many of us leave them plugged in continuously until we need them again proving that we prefer convenience. There are products available for devices that are not easy to continually unplug and plug back in like televisions and computers. A power strip that shuts off the electric current to these gadgets makes it easier to save on electricity while saving on the struggle of reaching around a television or computer to find the outlet.

Saving electricity from your TV by using a power strip can save up to $80 a year so just imagine the savings if you unplugged all of your unused appliances!

Matt Schuierer (@MattSchuierer on Twitter) is on the project team at Mom Central Consulting.