Lights Out, Somebodys Home

Fun, easy, affordable ways to green up…

Youre probably proud of yourself for flipping off the light switch when you leave a room, as I have been since the days of my mother yelling, “hey man, were not independently wealthy!” as if she had eyes in the back of her head. But more recently, it has come to light (pun intended) that just turning lights, TVs, and stereos off when were done with them isnt enough.

Anything that is plugged in can still be sucking power out of the walls connected to your electric bill. When we unplug our microwaves, toasters, coffee makers, televisions, DVD players, video game systems and anything else that is still glowing or has a blinking light while in the “off” position, we are not only lowering our electric bill, but we are making our little contribution to reducing that silly carbon footprint again. Thats what we call two birds, one stone.

This easy little task is even easier if you connect similar electronics, such as televisions and DVD players, to a power strip with an on/off switch. Trust me, I know how annoying it can be to bend over and pull out three plugs and then bend over again to plug everything back in to use them. The power strip is on the floor, just flip the switch with your toe! Seriously, that works. Im all about making these tasks as lazy as possible so you will actually do them (dont unplug your DVR box though, it wont record shows if you do that. Id hate to be responsible for anyone missing an episode of Lost).

Another few things to remember to unplug that may not seem so obvious are cell phone chargers, battery rechargers, and even desktop computers (I looked that up, its safe and doesnt affect your computer). If you are considering upgrading or changing any electronics or appliances in your home, always look for the ENGERY STAR logo (see right), which will help your electronics “sleep” and use less power when not in use.

A new technology surfacing for flat screen TVs is the energy efficient DLP HDTV (Digital Light Processing). With its just-as-awesome flat screen and picture quality, its a great alternative to the LCD and plasma televisions, which can use up to three times as much electricity! My roommate wants a new flat screen, and I just convinced him to get the DLP. Now if I could just get him to turn lights off when he leaves a room! Ill get back to you with my new and improved electric bill next month.

But What Can I Do? Lights Off, Somebody’s Home by Courtney Raney

Photo coutesy gcfairch