Spot hidden power drains in the house and save energy with master tips

No matter how hard you try to save energy, your electricity bills just don’t seem to drop. Why is that? You may have fallen into the trap of the “standby power drainers” lurking around your home!

Many household appliances continue to consume electricity even when they’re on standby. Assume each appliance uses just one watt of power while idle, and an average household has around 10 to 20 such appliances. Switching them all off completely could cut your total household electricity use by up to 3%.

Tracking down these hidden power drainers isn’t difficult. By spotting certain features, you can tell whether an appliance is still using power in standby mode. Use the table below to help identify the culprits.

Four Characteristics of Power Drainers

To reduce standby power consumption, consider using power sockets with switches. After using an appliance, simply switch it off at the wall — it’s an easy habit that can save you a fair bit of money over time!