Plugged for Power

Switching your electronics off doesn't mean they will stop wasting energy. Your DVD player, TV, computer, audio/video receiver, video game console, printer, scanner, cordless phone and mobile charger still use electricity whenever they are plugged in, even when they are turned off!

A typical home can have more than 40 devices using energy in 'off' or low power modes, which can translate to 9 per cent or more of your electricity bill. Wasting energy not only hurts your hip pocket, it contributes to the 40 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions coming from electrical power plants around the globe - fuelling global warming and climate change.

Look around your home to see how many devices might be drawing power when off. Basically anything with a display clock, like a microwave or oven (even if you never set the clock) or remote controls or keypads. Power supplies (also known as AC adaptors) that are used by computers, printers and many other electronic devices are notorious for wasting power - most result in power loss when converting the AC power to DC power needed by the electronics. If you detach an external power supply from a PC but still leave it plugged in, for example, it continues to draw power. The same applies to your mobile phone recharger - leave it plugged in and it will continue to draw power even when not in use.

So what can you do about it? The experts say to unplug anything you don't use often, such as the spare TV, then plug as much of your electronics as possible into surge suppression strips with switches on them, and switch them off when you're not using them. Make sure it's a good quality surge suppressor, not just a power strip, as you want to be sure that your electronics are protected against power surges even when switched off.

When you next buy a new electronic appliance, ask about its energy use in standby mode. With an increasing push to include energy star ratings for all electronics, manufacturers are becoming more conscious of the importance of energy-efficiency.