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. As always, we first look at the easiest fixes with the lowest upfront costs for energy conservation. This is part 2 on handling a high electric idle load. Read part 1 if you haven’t already.

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Install Timer on a Whole House Audio System

First of all, a “whole house” audio or music system. Here’s an explanation from lifewire.com. Essentially, it’s a system usually with some wiring built into the home such that it can send sound to different zones.

Good quick test: Are the components on your whole house audio system warm to the touch? If so, they are probably wasting electricity continuously.

Putting your whole house audio system on a timer ensures that it is not wasting power in the middle of the night, or other times of the day when you’re not using it. Here’s a good video explaining how timers work. Note: this video is from the UK where they have a different plug and switch but the timer functionality is the same.

There are many types of timers. Many allow for multiple on/off times during the day or even weekday/weekend distinction. For a whole home audio system, be sure to get one that is appropriate for indoor use and appropriately grounded (three-prong). This is an excellent digital timer, with a variety of programming options: 110 Volt digital timer. Note: We don’t get commissions from Amazon or any retailer; we offer links as examples.

Install a timer on your whole house audio system so that it is not hogging energy in the middle of the night and when you’re not likely to use it.

Depending on your system, they can use anywhere from 70-400 watts according to studies at Energy.gov, and we have seen some systems that use even more power. That costs people anywhere from $700-$1,700 when the system is on all the time. You can easily save money just by putting yours on a timer.

Upgrade to Efficient Lighting

Another option is to upgrade to more efficient lighting. We’ve talked about the virtues of LED lighting, which has improved a lot in quality in recent years. Replacing an incandescent with a CFL saves 75% of the energy. A 100-watt incandescent that is on 8 hours a day 365 days a year costs $88 per year. Instead of LED, you can also try CFL. Some people like the feel of them better than LED. With a CFL, it would be $22, and it lasts 10,000 hours. LED lights save about 80% and last 20,000 hours.

Configure Sleep Mode on your Computer

Your computer has the ability to automatically hibernate and save you money when you are no longer using it. You simply need to configure it. Most newer computers are have power saving modes by default, so if you have an older computer, it’s wise to check.

Read this article from EnergyStar to learn about power management on your computer.

Worried about wearing out your computer by turning it on and off too much? Tired of how long it takes to wake up your computer? Take a look at this FAQ link and this myths link also from EnergyStar. They may help describe your computer usage questions.

If you have an extra older computer, the most energy efficiency solutions would be to unplug your extra computer or game console when it is not in use. Beyond that, you can also automatically hibernate it when unused for 20 minutes. Hibernate turns off the hard drive, reducing the power to less than just sleep mode.

Power Management for Game Consoles

Your game console has the ability to automatically hibernate and save you money when you are no longer using it. You simply need to configure it.

Read this article from Lifehacker.com and this one from NRDC to learn about power management for your game console.

Game consoles can vary greatly with the amount of energy they use. You can look up stats on your console or measure its usage with a Kill-a-watt meter. Find out how much energy is used when it’s on (being used), when it’s idling (not being used but turned on) and when it’s turned off (but still plugged in). You can read more about the energy consumption of game consoles from this study at Carnegie Mellon University or from this detailed report from the NRDC.

Fix Continuous House Fan

Some homes have fans in the bathrooms, attic, the crawlspace, or in closets or cupboards used to house (hot) electronics. If you have one of these, make sure the fan is thermostat-controlled, so it doesn’t run when not needed.

Also, since 2014, California building codes require bathroom exhaust fans to have motion or humidity sensors, which can be set incorrectly or sometimes go bad, leaving the fan running continuously. If you are in this situation, here are two options to fix this:

• If the humidity sensor is set to low, it may come on and stay on much longer than necessary. Resetting the humidistat is supposed to be a user operation; check the manual or search online for instructions specific to your fan. It may involve removing the cover and turning a small black knob.
• The motion sensor may be turning the fan on whenever someone walks by the bathroom. If so, it may be possible to block off part of the motion sensor eye with some tape. Again, try searching the web for advice concerning your specific fan.

Remove Old or Unused TVs

You may have more TVs than the average house. Are there some that are barely used?

Each TV uses a little power even if it isn’t turned on, and often there are other devices connected to it (DVR, cable modem, etc) that draw even more power. Old TVs are the best to get rid of because they were built before the more stringent energy efficiency standards that we have today. That means they leak even more energy than an average TV, and the quality isn’t usually as good!

Disable Unused Home PC’s

Do you have a large number of computers. If you don’t use all of them, now is a good time to get rid of unnecessary PC/monitor/printer combinations. You can reduce your electric bill and precious space in your home.

Do you use some as full time servers? If so, you may want to consider a hosting service. Not only are they often more cost effective than maintaining your own computers at home, but many hosting companies locate their servers where electricity is particularly cheap (e.g., near large renewable hydropower plants).

Check Your Uninterruptible Power Supply

Check to see if your UPS is part of the cause for your large standby load. Energy Star has a buying guide and list of EnergyStar UPS models. You can also use a Killawatt meter to test your UPS if you cannot find from the manufacturer what the input power while idle is for your device.Rec: Install timer on recirc pump

Disable or Unplug Instant Hot Water Dispenser

Instant hot water dispensers look like an additional faucet near the kitchen sink (but are sometimes in other places as well). They provide near-boiling water instantly, but are very inefficient compared to a tea-kettle on a gas stove, or an electric plug-in kettle. Try not to use one of these for a few days, and see if you really need your instant hot water dispenser plugged in and running all the time.

If you don’t need it all the time, likes most people, install a timer on your instant hot water dispenser. Search for an appropriate timer for your system, such as a timer like this one. Then, you can try to DIY (do it yourself) or call an electrician to help you connect your hot water dispenser to the timer.

Try to understand what schedule works for your home but one example schedule is to provide instant hot water for 1 hour in the morning for breakfast and 2 hours at night for dinner.If you install a timer on your instant hot water dispenser, you can ensure you aren’t boiling away water and money at 4:00 am.

Get an Electric Energy Audit of your Home

Lastly, electric idle loads in your home may require some sleuthing. You can consider a free energy coach or an energy audit of your home. Your home’s electric use is high with many contributing factors. An energy coach can help with additional information and tools, such as electricity use monitors, to create a plan to reduce energy waste.

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Read part 3 to continue browsing through what possible actions you can take to lower your bills by reducing idle load.