Should You Unplug Electronic Devices When You’re Not Using Them?

Most households have a large number of electrical devices permanently plugged in. These devices are typically used daily, but it’s also not uncommon to leave items plugged in that are rarely used.

Keeping all your devices plugged in is convenient, but this convenience comes at a price. Many electrical devices use energy when plugged in but not in use. And there are other disadvantages also.

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Here’s why you should unplug your devices and which ones use the most energy.

Why You Should Unplug Electronic Devices When Not In Use

Electrical devices plugged in often use small amounts of energy regardless of whether they are turned on or off. Depending on how many devices you have, it’s possible that you could be paying over 100 dollars per year topower these so-called “vampire devices.”

While using less energy is the primary reason to plug things out, there’s also the issue of power surges.Small power surges are common, and while they might not break your electronic devices, they cause small amounts of damage. If you leave things plugged in unnecessarily, you expose your devices to this damage for no reason.

hand unplugging plug from power strip feature

Many electrical devices are also not designed to be plugged in for long periods. For example, battery-powered gadgets such as phones and laptops should only be plugged in to charge. If they are left plugged in longer than that, you may reduce the battery’s lifespan. This is why you are not supposed to chargesuch devices overnight.

Do Devices Use Power While Switched Off?

Powered-off electrical devices use energy in many ways:

How to Measure How Much Power Is Being Used

If you’d like to find out exactlyhow much power your devices are using, you can use a handheld electricity monitor. These devices can measure the energy usage of any device, on or off, and are useful for energy saving in general.

To use a handheld monitor, plug it into a socket and then plug the electrical device to be measured directly into it. The screen will then display the wattage being used.

smartphone with charging plug on top

What Devices Should You Unplug to Save Power?

What you need to plug out depends largely on what you own, but here are the usual devices that people tend toleave on unnecessarily.

How to Turn Devices Off Easily

Plugging your devices in and out daily isn’t very convenient, but you can make the process easier using power strips or smart plugs.

Use Power Strips

Power strips are the simplest option. They are primarily designed to allow you to plug more devices into a single socket and turn everything off with a single switch. This makes them ideal if you have multiple devices to plug out every night. Some power switches also include timers so you can set them to turn everything off automatically.

Use Smart Plugs

Smart plugs can be connectedto other smart home products or used independently. For energy saving, they allow you to turn off devices automatically using a timer and/or turn them off using your smartphone. Some smart plugs also measure electrical usage, so they are useful products for saving on electricity in general.

5 Ways to Use Less Energy and Save Money

Turning your appliances off when not in use is one of many ways to save energy. Here are a few other examples:

Unplugging Your Devices Is the Easiest Way to Use Less Energy

If you’d like to save on electricity, there are many ways that this can be achieved. Switching to more energy-efficient appliances is arguably the most effective, but turning things off when not in use is also worth doing.

Most electrical devices use electricity regardless of whether they are powered on or off, so switching them all off will lower your energy bill. Provided you opt for a power strip or smart plug, it’s also a process that can be done automatically.

eve energy smart plug

With winter around the corner, following this advice can help you see massive savings on your electricity bills.

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