One of the benefits of buying a new construction home is its improved energy-efficiency compared to resale homes. Lexington homes are outfitted with server energy-efficient features to help conserve energy and save on energy costs.
Thanks to our growing reliance on technology, there are now plenty of sneaky phantom energy hogs lurking in our homes. A number of these devices (like televisions and microwaves) cannot be fully powered off without being unplugged so they draw on “standby power” while they are turned off.
While a single device drawing on standby power doesn’t consume much energy, a typical home has about forty devices using standby power. Here are a few of the top energy hogs in a home and some tips on how to reduce some of its energy consumption.
Televisions: Televisions have gotten slimmer and more efficient over the years but they’ve also gotten larger, which lessens some of the efficiency gains. A simple fix is to unplug the television when you’re not using it but upgrading older televisions to one of the many new energy-efficient models is another great fix.
Set-top boxes: Set-top, or cable, boxes require a lot of energy to run thanks to its processors. Set-top boxes don’t fully power off so they are using their full power, especially if you use them to record shows while you’re away from home. You can conserve some energy by unplugging the cable box each night, but if that doesn’t work, requesting an ENERGY STAR-rated box will help.
Computers: We’re constantly on our computers, which is why it’s a good thing they’re incredibly more energy-efficient now. Even with this improved efficiency, leaving them on is still a drain on your wallet. Aside from unplugging your computer when you’re not using it, powering down completely is a good step towards saving some energy in the long run.
Gaming consoles: While newer, more powerful gaming consoles have power-saving features already built in, game consoles still sip on energy while powered off. Make sure you turn off the unit when you’re finished playing instead of simply turning off the TV.
Gaming consoles consume a lot of energy when used to stream movies as well because they’re not able to scale that power. They use the same power game processor to stream a movie so it costs more to use it as a streaming device instead of a dedicated streaming device.
Refrigerators: Because refrigerators run constantly, it makes sense that they’re one of the biggest energy hogs in your home. While you can’t unplug the fridge every night, you can help improve energy efficiency by buying an energy-efficient fridge, make sure the seals are in top shape, is free of ice build-up and well-stocked to help maintain overall temperature.
Being aware of how your electronic devices use energy can help reduce your energy consumption and bills.
