Does unplugging things that use electricity really save that much energy?

Question

Say if you unplugged your toaster, or microwave when not in use. Does it make a difference?

Answer 1

No.  A toaster, toaster oven, deep fryer, typically uses NO power when not actually running.  Microwaves and other devices with small displays use 1-2 watts, meaning they would have to sit 500-1000 hours to use 1 kwh which costs 14 cents here in Dallas.

  TV's, VCR's, DVRs, computers, etc., where the screen goes blank can be looked up on the internet and commonly use 2-5 watts when on stand by.  But if you pulled the plug, you would lose all the settings such as the channels you wanted to watch and when you plugged it in, the instant on would be lost and it might take a minute or more to get up and settled.

Answer 2

It can.

Go around your house and turn off everything that's got an on and an off. That's lights, heat, the refrigerator, and lots more.

Now look at your electric meter, still spinning away. The TV that comes on in a few seconds (old ones took a minute or more), the computer in sleep mode, clocks, even the doorbell, are all using power "invisibly." To reduce it as low as it goes, you need to turn these things off in a way that uses no power at all. For some (TV, computer, other electronics) the only way to do that is to unplug them. Anything that keeps track of the date or time, visibly or not, is using power.

Answer 3

Of course it will make a difference.

So what if its only a little.

A little bit can go a long way.

Answer 4

It depends, a toaster usually not, a microwave it can because it is in a standby mode.  

You can tell an appliace that is in a standby mode when not in use usually because it has some sort of display (like a clock very often) or power light that glows even when it is not in use.

Older appliances tend not to have standby functions while their more modern counterparts often do.  Televisions are a good example of appliances that have changed.  This is because many modern appliances are programable and require power to maintain the settings.  

It does make a difference over a year to your power bill but remember that if an appliance is in standby and you unplug it you might find it has re-set itself to factory settings when you next try to use it!

Answer 5

I often hear that things like TVs and microwaves use a lot of power even when they are off. I have a lot of these kinds of things. 5 TVs, 1 desktop computer and several laptops, a cable modem and router, sprinkler timer, alarm system, two thermostats, garage door opener, cell phone chargers and cordless phone chargers, and answering machine. I KNOW all these things are using some power when they are plugged in even if they are off. There may be other things that I don't suspect, but I am sure all those things use power even when off, if they are plugged in.

So I looked at my electric meter. In addition to the dials with big numbers that do not seem to be changing there is a wheel you can see inside the glass meter. It turns at a speed related to how much power you are using. It was turning slowly, because I was alone in the house and almost nothing was on. I turned off a light which was the only power I was using, and the turning wheel slowed to almost no speed at all. The after a few minutes it COMPLETELY STOPPED. Even though I KNOW that some power was being used, it was not enough to even register on the meter. I have also (last summer) seen that wheel spinning very fast when the air conditioner was on.

So my advice to you is get the most energy efficient air conditioner you can and be very stingy about using it, and do not worry at all about standby power. I also say anybody who says you need to unplug all your appliances to save the world is an idiot. Unplugging appliances does NOT save power.

Answer 6

if the appliance or device has any type of indicator lights yes unplugging will make a difference

Answer 7

absolutely, especially power strips even if the device is office the power strip is drawing current

Answer 8

You tell me a 70W bulb cost you a little over $3 a month if you just left it on.  Indicator lights and such cost about $.03 a month.  The only thing wrong with electricity is we continue to burn coal to generate it, cause we're scared of nuclear.  Electrical energy is the easiest and greatest deal on the planet and for the planet, use it, love it.  If we need more we can just build more.  More smaller containable generating stations could solve all the problems that scare everyone.