I go crazy when lights are left on when there is no-one in the room. I know that energy saving ones take a few minutes to get to their full lighting power, but when I walk through the house and everyone’s gone out, leaving a trail of switched on lights in their wake, it annoys me. Not just for the cost, but for the energy wastage.
Stuff like games consoles, laptops and TVs, draw power when plugged in and not in use. Using this standby power can be avoided simply by switching off at the wall. I know we can’t always reach the plug – our TV plug is behind the massive sideboard but with accessible sockets, it’s an easy thing to do.
The Energy Saving Trust reckons that the typical UK household wastes somewhere between £50 and £80 a year because things aren’t switched off. Leaving devices plugged in or on standby is wasting energy & cash, we all tend to do it when we go away on holiday, so why not do it every day?
£80 would be a huge addition to my yearly income. That’s £1.50 a week. Even if I didn’t use that money on myself, giving that to charity, instead of wasting it on energy that no one is benefiting from, would be a better use of the cash.
Next time you switch the TV to standby before going to bed, have a think.
