Switch off secret power guzzlers: It is better to unplug these devices at night

Created: 07/10/2022 05:17

By: Miriam Haberhauer

Energy prices continue to rise, the government encourages citizens to save.

It is also very easy to save electricity with many everyday household appliances.

Munich – electricity, gas, food: Inflation in the Federal Republic is driving prices up.

Unnecessary energy costs should be avoided, the federal cabinet has already passed a special energy saving regulation.

Secret power guzzlers are slumbering in most German households.

Saving energy: consumer electronics as “power guzzlers”

The number one power guzzler in most homes is consumer electronics.

It is often assumed that the devices do not consume any energy in stand-by mode.

In fact, the power consumption of PCs, game consoles, radios and televisions drops significantly, but it cannot be completely eliminated.

On average, there are 1.57 televisions in every household, as can be seen from the "Video Digitization Report 2020" of the 14 state media authorities.

Older devices or models with a large screen in particular consume a lot of electricity over a longer period of time, despite being in stand-by mode.

If you want to be sure that the power supply is completely interrupted, you should unplug the devices completely at night to be on the safe side or use a switchable power strip.

In the kitchen: save electricity with the microwave

Some energy guzzlers are also hiding in the kitchen.

The popular microwave does not have to be continuously connected to the power supply, but should be unplugged, especially at night.

If you need a midnight snack, it is also quickly ready for use again.

The same also applies to the coffee machine.

Refrigerators and freezers, on the other hand, should not be switched off if they are used regularly.

Cooling it back down to the desired temperature would use more electricity than could have been saved before.

In the office: unplug router and printer

In the office, several devices can be safely unplugged at night.

The WLAN router is hardly used at night anyway.

In order to save yourself the daily plugging and unplugging, you can easily work with a time control.

also read

Brewery-Aus after 150 years: beer giant closes production

You should now avoid these garden mistakes before winter

Scanners, fax machines and printers can also be hidden power guzzlers.

Ideally, the devices are only connected when they are needed.

In this case, too, you can simply use a power strip.

The dishwasher is also one of the biggest power guzzlers in the household - but with a few tricks you can save a lot of electricity.