Friday May 16th, 2008
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Struggling to Unplug
Posted by Su Avasthi on April 25, 2007 - 1:23am.
Unplugging our electronics is one of the simplest ways to conserve energy and ultimately benefit the planet.
So why is it so hard to pull the plug?
Inspired by Tip #1 in Top Ten Ways to be Green, I went around my house the other day, looking for things to unplug.
My goal was straightforward: I planned to unplug anything that wouldn't disrupt my day-to-day life. Some things, I'd already decided, were going to remain plugged in. The fridge, obviously, but also stuff I use daily, like the clock radio, my laptop, a couple of lamps and my TV, which gets its juice from a very hard-to-access outlet.
At first, the unplugging was swift and painless. The paper shredder that only gets used around tax time, for instance, has had its cord tidily wrapped up until next March. And I not only unplugged the battery charger for my drill (believe me, it's pretty amazing that I even have a drill), but it's been stashed in a cabinet where it's likely to stay until 2010.
As my hunt continued, however, pulling the plug became more challenging. But I was on a mission and decided to unplug things I use fairly often, like the blender, dust-buster and computer printer.
But when it came down making real sacrifices, like unplugging my iPod charger or powering down the stereo, I suddenly got very grumpy about my mission to better the world. What started as a globally- conscious gesture quickly deteriorated into a heavy burden.
Am I actually supposed to feel guilty because I want to turn my stereo without any fuss? Am I really expected to power up my microwave whenever I want to snack on some popcorn?
Theoretically, I know this isn't hard to do. In fact, it's embarrassingly easy. But, in practical terms, it's a total hassle when you're used to the ease of clicking a button or flipping a switch.
The problem is that I live in a land of remote controls, and it's made me lazy and impatient. Like most of us, I'm used to the instant gratification that we expect from modern conveniences.
So, I guess I'll attack this slowly and hope that unplugging will become second nature. Habits, as we all know, are mighty powerful.
But for now, I'm not ready to unplug my iPod charger. Call me indulgent, but I still want some gadgets ready to cater to my whims.
Topics:
- Planet
- appliances
- electrical outlets
- electronics
- energy conservation
- energy-efficient appliances
- power cords
- power strips
That "but-I-thought-I-turned-it-off" energy used by TVs and VCRs and almost every other electric-powered mod-con is known as "phantom load". (Craziest stat: Some studies have suggested that the total phantom load caused by the United States alone would provide enough power to handle the electric needs of Vietnam, Peru, and Greece.)
You can actually see just how much electricity each machine uses by buying/borrowing a little device called a "Kill-A-Watt" that plugs into an outlet, and you plug your TV or whatever into that. A little digital readout tells you how much power the TV's draining just by sitting there. (The local Center for Resource Conservation in Boulder lends them out, but you can also get them off Amazon. They cost about $20, coincidentally the amount of $$ you're likely spending each year on phantom loads.)
Easiest way around phantom loads is to use a power strip for all your big suckers -- TVs, stereos, etc. Removes the quote-unquote burden of having to plug and unplug. Just flip a switch.
Vicki,
If either of those htings has a digital readout -- like a clock on the coffee maker -- then yes, that's a phantom load. If you see any kind of light coming from it when it's "off" -- like a little LED telling you that the toaster oven is "off" -- then it's taking power. Not a lot, obviously, but add up all the appliances in your home and you start to get into serious electric drain.
I live in Costa Rica which is well-known for imperfection in just about everything. We used to have much more imperfection and this country was much more charming for it. Now with invasion of modernization by leaps and bounds Costa Rica has lost a lot in terms of well-being for human beings. The electric company fails once in while and is irresponsible for the large quatity of damaged electrical appliances caused by on and off electrical flow. So to protect my appliances I use surge protectors which I make sure are turned off every night before I turn in. Also in the case of an electrical failure, all you have to do is flick them off until the lights come back on, providing protection for the gadgets.
This is easy to handle because whenever you want to use certain appliances you just switch on the surge protector. When off, all appliances receive no electric current and therefore savings for the planet.
Hope this helps.
Jill Paer