To save on the electricity bill we can take into account different tips or changes in habits. One of them is to disconnect everything that we do not use. For example chargers, video players, household appliances… Now, do we really save energy if we turn off this type of device from the current? We are going to talk about it in this article. Let’s explain if it helps our goal of paying less on the bill each month.
Differences in phantom consumption
The first thing you should know is that anything you have connected to electricity, even if you are not using it, will consume energy. And here we can even name the charger of a mobile that you have connected to the wall. This is known as phantom consumption . But beware, there are big differences.
What do we mean by this? To really save on your electricity bill, you must primarily focus on certain devices that you must disconnect. For example, if you have a robot vacuum cleaner that you always keep connected to Stand By , that will consume much more than having a power strip or charger plugged into the electricity. The same if you have a game console, a television or an alarm clock.
Therefore, we can say that you can save money on your electricity bill if you disconnect the devices, but the difference can be significant depending on the type of those devices. It is something that you must analyze very well to know to what extent you can really save or not.
In other words, it is useless to start disconnecting mobile phone chargers, remove power strips from the wall or even light bulbs that you do not use, if you are later going to leave other devices connected that really are the ones that can contribute the most to phantom consumption. Review which devices you always have plugged in and not using and focus on those that may represent a higher consumption .
Keep in mind that the phantom consumption of a home can be from 7 to 10% of the total bill. It is an amount that can be important throughout a year for a family. You just have to think about what it would mean for you to reduce the bill by 10% each month. You can achieve that if you end, at least for the most part, with phantom consumption.
Save energy beyond phantom consumption
But of course you can not only save energy by disconnecting appliances and attacking ghost consumption. You can make small changes to your habits and settings in your home that will allow you to save much more each month than you could save with phantom consumption alone, which, as you have seen, is usually 7-10% of the total.
What can you do to save? Something essential is that you control the appliances with the highest consumption . For example, you can check the temperature of the refrigerator, see the program you use for the dishwasher, control the time you use a stove or radiator, the air conditioning in summer, etc.
It is also a good idea to change devices that may be very old. Although in the short term it involves a significant investment, such as buying a new refrigerator or a more modern dryer, in the long run you will notice very significant savings on your electricity bill. The most current devices are much more efficient.
Another key tip to pay less on your electricity bill is to review the rate you have contracted. It is certainly essential. For example, you should see whether or not you are interested in having a rate with hourly discrimination. Perhaps you are interested in paying less at certain times of the day and taking advantage of home automation to turn on the washing machine or dishwasher at those cheaper hours.
In short, as you can see, phantom consumption can represent an important part of your bill. Turning off devices will undoubtedly save you money, but you should know which ones are really going to make a substantial change. Avoid having devices with higher consumption always connected. Basically keep in mind that disconnecting the charger from your mobile phone is not going to mean practically anything, while turning off speakers that you have connected to the television or a robot vacuum cleaner is going to mean an important change.
