You can save a lot of energy in an easy way! This sounds like music to many people's ears, but it is effectively so. It can be done by reducing your stealth consumption, or even avoiding it completely!
What is stealth consumption?
This is the sneaky consumption of the electrical appliances in your home. A large portion of the electrical appliances in your home run non-stop, and that is not always necessary. It goes without saying that your refrigerator is constantly on, but other appliances don't need it. Think of a computer, digicorder, modem or cell phone charger. These do not need to be plugged in all the time when you are not using them. There are also devices that you think you have turned off, but which actually go into standby mode. So that way you create a whole bunch of "stealth consumption" that you can easily avoid.
Did you know that this stealth consumption can even amount to as much as 10% of your total energy consumption? With today's energy prices, you'd better watch out. With a few smart interventions, you can change a lot!
To give you an idea of how big this "stealth consumption" is, let's take a look at the impact of this consumption on your energy bill. Below are the 5 biggest standby consumers.
- Computer & peripherals: €33/year
- TV with digicorder: €15/year
- Coffee maker: €6/year
- Hi-fi system: €6/year
- Oven & microwave with digital clock: €4/year
Of course, these are not huge numbers, but if you add them all up each year, you still come up with a nice sum.
How can you reduce or even avoid the stealth consumption of electrical appliances?
Now that we have identified all the causes, we can start looking at solutions to reduce "sneak consumption." Below we have gathered some useful tips to minimize or even eliminate the consumption of those devices.
It is best to start by unplugging appliances that you are not using, or rarely use. You can also use a power strip with an on/off switch for this purpose. You can then connect your computer and peripherals to this as well and eliminate the stealth consumption of all these devices with one click.
In addition, for your TV and peripherals, you can also opt for a standby killer. This is something that completely cuts off the electricity when you put these devices in standby mode. On top of that, you can also choose a standby killer with a timer. This is useful for charging a smartphone or toothbrush. After the set time, the device turns off the power completely.
If you keep all these things in mind, you are already a lot stronger for minimizing energy waste in your home. Wondering how you can save in other ways, too? Then be sure to read our other blogs on how to reduce your electricity bill in the summer and how to best heat this summer!
