GreenBrig

Green Numbers – a series of posts presenting facts and figures relevant to the environmentally conscious consumer.

• One-fifth of the average US household electricity consumption is used for electronic devices.
• 40 percent of the energy used for home electronic devices is used while they are turned off.
• 85 percent of the $250 billion spent worldwide on powering personal computers is wasted in standby mode.
• 1 million megawatt-hours of power that would be saved annually in the US by energy-efficient battery chargers.
• 90 percent less energy is used by laptops than desktop computers.
• 49 percent of the energy used by the average household is utilized for heating and cooling rooms.
• A quarter of the heat loss from a house can be caused by improperly sealed windows.
• $13 billion in energy costs is wasted annually in American homes as heat escaping through cracks and leaks.
• 70 percent more electricity is used by a refrigerator manufactured 20 years ago compared to one made today.
• 2 times more electricity is used to wash clothes using water at 140 degrees F than at 104 degrees F.

DISCLAIMER – GreenBrig.com does not guarantee the accuracy of the statistics presented on this page, nor does it recommend or endorse any particular use of this information.

You don’t have to be an energy vampire to cut down your energy costs. It’s true that unplugging your unused appliances and electronics will save you money, but if you find it a tedious chore to do, select a couple of big items to start with.

For instance change your laundry setting to cold and this will save you about $19 a year on your utility bill, and plus it is better for your clothes. Unplug cell phone adapters – these can be a killer on your electricity bill.
Change you incandescent bulbs to CFL bulbs and this will save you over $5 a year over the life of a regular bulb.

Simple rules you can share with your partner and children is to turn-off the lights in every room when they are done using. I personally only have 2 rooms lit a time since we mostly spend our time in the living room or kitchen. Using the sunlight to light up a room during daytime is a great way to cut down on electricity and it gives you a chance to peek outside to check out the view. (Don’t forget to close it at night, since the “view” of the room is reversed).

Using the Power save mode in your TV’s, video game, and computer are also a one time setting that will benefit you. If you would like to test out any of these points, start following your bills on a regular basis, and the next month change.

Then compare month over month. Even if it is only $10 difference you see, that means a quarter of a gas tank for you that month is saved. Once these habits are placed into you everyday routine, you will grow to notice other simple ways to save.