This article is part of a collection of articles devoted to cutting utility bills, including cheaper electric and gas bills. We cover recommendations for different types of high utility bills. FYI, we explain things in terms of five our categories of energy use. As always, we first look at the easiest fixes with the lowest upfront costs for energy conservation.

This article is part 1 of a three-part series on idle load, the background electricity load that a lot people forget or don’t know about.

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For some homes (more than people would think), high electric idle load accounts for a big part of their electricity bill. People have no idea because this stuff is “always on” and in the background. People don’t see or feel it, and there’s a lot of good news from this fact. We just have to look at it and fix it once, and it’s “set and forget,” fading back into the background.

Simply put, people often have too many things plugged in. So, the low hanging fruit is to get smarter about how things are plugged in. The fixes here are usually accessible to even people afraid of the words “Do It Yourself.” More importantly, the new devices needed, like timers or smart strips, are very affordable.

We hardly need to unplug everything in the house or get Amazon over to install some “artificial intelligence” throughout your home. We will, instead, cover some of the big culprits and what to do about them. As an extra resource for the fervent learners, here is this document from the NRDC.

Use Smart Power Strips

What is a smart power strip?

Smart strips offer a simple method to reduce standby power losses. They make it a lot easier to do one thing: when an electronic device isn’t needed, turn off the power!

All smart strips use the same approach: they monitor the status of a “controlling device” like a TV or a computer. When that device is off, the smart strip shuts off the power to several of the outlets on the power strip, thereby eliminating their associated idle loads. When the controlling device is turned on, those plugs are energized and those other devices turn on.

Here’s a good video explaining how they work. And more details here.

They are generally easy to install, requiring only access to a wall plug. If you have older devices or if some of your devices on standby mode are hot to the touch, smart strips are especially effective. However, they do not work for all peripherals, and there are a few special cases to consider (see below).

Examples of opportunities:

• TV set top boxes:
  • A Comcast Motorola DCT3412 I DVR burns 27 watts whether it is on or off. This is about $8 of electricity per month at top tier electric rates.
  • A 2011 model AT&T Uverse box burns 23 watts. About $6.50 per box per month.
  • A 2011 model Direct TV receiver (not a DVR) was measured at 29 watts continuous. 
• Old media equipment, like VCRs, can draw 15-20 watts continuously.
• Battery chargers, especially the bigger ones used for handheld tools, have been measured at 40 watts continuous, when the battery is fully charged.
• Older game consoles and DVRs have been measured over 100 watts continuously.

Watch out if you have a universal remote control because there will be a little time lag. Once you turn on the master device, that will power the other devices and then you can turn them on with the remote.

There are now many smart strip manufacturers, and they offer an array of options including:

• Surge protection for the power outlets and also sometimes for cable and phone lines. This is important for areas with lots of lightning.
• Number of outlets: ranging from as low as 2 up to 10
• Ability to customize the power threshold. This is the “trigger” mechanism used to turn on and off the switched outlets. This threshold must be above the standby load of the controlled device. So if your TV has a standby load of 20 watts, a smart strip threshold of 15 watts would not work — the TV power consumption would never get below that level, even when turned off. So most smart strips offer at least two settings: a low one around 15 watts and a high one around 30 watts. 

Here are three examples on Amazon:

• Tricklestar 4 outlet power tap
• Belkin 6 outlet power strip
• Tricklestar 7 outlet power strip

These devices are available from many hardware stores, including Home Depot, and typically cost from $15 to $40. Note: we do not get commissions from Amazon or any retailer. We provide links as examples.

Special Installation Notes

• Best suited for “unintelligent” electronic devices connected to Entertainment Systems including:
  • DVD, VCR, Blu-ray players
  • Digital to analog converter boxes
  • Other media players like AppleTV, GoogleTV, WD Live
  • Audio receivers, surround sound systems or other audio components only used with the controlling device (TV or computer)
  • Game consoles
  • Many simple cable and satellite receivers (see note below regarding special attention)
  • Most other simple devices that are connected to the TV and also plugged in.
• Also works very well for home office peripheral equipment including the following:
  • Printers
  • Scanners
  • Powered Sound Systems
  • Powered USB hubs
  • Network equipment (if only used for the computer plugged into the smart strip)
  • Most other equipment connected to computer and also plugged in
• Connected devices like the following may also work but deserve special attention:
  • Satellite and cable set top boxes that require a long startup time and download channel guides at night (a digital timer may help with this)
  • Certain game consoles may lose game settings when power is shut off (often a configuration setting to fix this)
• Devices that need to be on when the controlling devices are not on must be plugged into the “unswitched” ports of the smart strip:
  • Tivos and other Digital Video Recorders
  • Fax machines (for unexpected incoming faxes when the computer is off)
  • Copy machines (if used when computer is off)

Smart strips work by completely shutting off power to peripherals (DVD player, printer, etc.) when the main device (TV or computer) is not being used. As soon as you turn on the TV or computer, the peripherals are automatically turned on and ready to use.Rec: 

Use “Regular” Power Strips

Power strips may already be in your house to help protect your equipment from overloads or short circuits. They can also help you save energy and are anywhere from $5-$20.

Why use power strips besides surge protection? This will allow you to turn off all power to the devices in one easy step. Look for power strips with a remote switch and you no longer need to have the power strip and the clutter of cords in an easy-to-reach and visible location.  Once the power strip is turned off, no power will be delivered to the outlets, thereby eliminating power wasted by power supplies. One caveat: home entertainment equipment such as TVs, cable and satellite boxes, and DVRs will need to be reprogrammed or given time to reboot and download information when turned back on.

There are many types of power strips. Here’s one that comes with a remote, so you can easily turn it off and on: power strip with remote.

Power strips not only help protect your equipment from possible surge damage, they are also the easiest and cheapest way to “unplug” multiple devices and limit their energy usage to when you are actually using them.

Unplug Unused Devices

Most homes have electric and electronic devices that are rarely used. Most of these are benign, i.e. they don’t consume any power unless they are being used.

But many others are costing you money and wasting electricity every hour of the day that they’re plugged in. Examples of opportunities:

• Mini-refrigerators can be a big load on your bill, using more energy than a full size refrigerator. On average, it’s 90 watts continuously.
• Old alarm system, unused for years but still plugged in: 23 watts continuously.
• Two power tools, unused for most of the year but still plugged in: 10 watts continuously.
• Old fax machine plugged in but off: 6 watts continuously.
• A VCR in a guest room: 15 watts.

There are many more examples, and the power consumption varies tremendously across brands and models. To test your own devices, buy a Killawatt meter — it’s very easy to use.The simplest and most obvious way to eliminate wasted standby energy leaks is to unplug products that you are not using.

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Read part 2 where we continue to help you consider possible ways to lower your energy bills by reducing idle load.