Unplug appliances to save electricity?

[LilBassGuy 10+ year member]

I heard from 3 different people that if you unplug your TVs and radios and lamps and other appliances while you leave the house, it reduces your energy bill quite a bit. I figured just turning everything off would be the same, but they say no, it must be unplugged because plugged in, it still consumes power.

I call BS. But they said that even their electric company told them to unplug stuff when they leave the house to reduce the bill. So I could be wrong. Any thoughts?

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[LilBassGuy 10+ year member]

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2001/02/09_energ.html

what an idiot I just needed 5 minutes on google, not a new thread

im a noob

 

[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

I heard from 3 different people that if you unplug your TVs and radios and lamps and other appliances while you leave the house, it reduces your energy bill quite a bit. I figured just turning everything off would be the same, but they say no, it must be unplugged because plugged in, it still consumes power.
I call BS. But they said that even their electric company told them to unplug stuff when they leave the house to reduce the bill. So I could be wrong. Any thoughts?

its true. i work for the electric company, and items such as home theater equip, stoves, toasters, microwaves, they all consume electricity even if not in use.

 

[LilBassGuy 10+ year member]

what about a lamp

 

[grassroots 10+ year member]

the current draw on something that's off is probably so minute it isn't worth unplugging completely. theaters, stoves and micowaves usually have clocks in them that stay on, but i don't believe things like toasters or lamps will draw any current when off...

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

I think one of the mods did something about this and wasnt saving all that much.

 

[CaliforniabOY5 10+ year member]

saw that on tv too. . . intriguing isnt it?

 

[SuperTrooper 10+ year member]

My wife and I tested this theory a few weeks ago and I even started a thread about it. I have a 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath house with 2 teenage daughters. I'm tired of $350.00 light bills on average.

An average day we (use to) kept eveything plugged in meaning ( hairdyers, curling irons, toasters, can openers, phone chargers, fans not in use, lamps not in use basically everything that didn't need to stay on with a clock or memory of some sort). So we decided to have our own little Mythbusters episode and try this little experiement out.

Before we unpugged all these appliances and turn lights out that didn't need to be on, we went outside and took a little peep at out meter. It was literally hauling A$$. We then uplugged what I had mentioned above, we then walked back outside to look at the meter and beleive me or not the meter was moving like a herd of turtles.

Now, beleive me if you want, doesn't makes a rats A$$ to me. When I made that thread a couple of weeks ago I just wanted to help out the people who actually have to pay a light bill and is tired of getting screwed in the poop shoot by the electrical companies. Thats all. Money is money, and I will save what I can, even if it is a minute amount. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/greedy.gif.5a53e6246569d7ab79867170f3b06629.gif Later........

 

[MikeofTulsa Moderator]

My wife and I tested this theory a few weeks ago and I even started a thread about it. I have a 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath house with 2 teenage daughters. I'm tired of $350.00 light bills on average.
An average day we (use to) kept eveything plugged in meaning ( hairdyers, curling irons, toasters, can openers, phone chargers, fans not in use, lamps not in use basically everything that didn't need to stay on with a clock or memory of some sort). So we decided to have our own little Mythbusters episode and try this little experiement out.

Before we unpugged all these appliances and turn lights out that didn't need to be on, we went outside and took a little peep at out meter. It was literally hauling A$$. We then uplugged what I had mentioned above, we then walked back outside to look at the meter and beleive me or not the meter was moving like a herd of turtles.

Now, beleive me if you want, doesn't makes a rats A$$ to me. When I made that thread a couple of weeks ago I just wanted to help out the people who actually have to pay a light bill and is tired of getting screwed in the poop shoot by the electrical companies. Thats all. Money is money, and I will save what I can, even if it is a minute amount. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/greedy.gif.5a53e6246569d7ab79867170f3b06629.gif Later........

it definatly makes a difference

what about a lamp

a lamp has an actual switch that cuts off the electric. so no. it doesnt draw any electric when off.

 

[LilBassGuy 10+ year member]

thanks to all contributors! I am gonna search for your thread and give it a look. I guess when it comes to large scale experiments with multiple people, the difference can be extreme. I am glad you did the research.

Thanks guys

 

[bigbangtheory 5,000+ posts]

Here you go.

http://www.caraudio.com/forum/showthread.php?t=230715

Think it was JMac that broke it down.