Avoid or reduce standby losses - save energy
What does stand-by operation cost so much a year? In short: One year has 365 x 24 = 8,760 hours. One kilowatt hour? kWh, the electrical energy unit that we have to pay? costs about 0.24 euros. So if we leave our electrical appliances like computers, printers, telephones, televisions, satellite receivers, clock radios, electric toothbrushes, mobile phone cradles, etc. constantly standby on the net, maybe we need a total of 50 watts. This means that we waste 0.05 kWh per hour, and 0.05 x 8760 = 438 kWh throughout the year. And then we pay 105,12 Euro. So 8.76 euros a month. Does not sound like much? Let's think again how much capital we would have to invest with 2%. I'll tell you: exactly 7.008, - Euro. That's how much we would have to set on the bank to get so much interest that we can run our devices standby instead of turning them off. Are you crazy?
What could we do? Well, let's take a quick trip to the hardware store and buy multiple sockets with switches. They are not expensive. Sometimes they are also at the food discounter ... If we buy only for the computer system, the television set with satellite receiver and the stereo each a multiple socket, all together may cost 25, - €. Well, after three months we would have the money out again. Then we save a lot of money every month.
However, I can understand you when you say that this trick with the multiple sockets is not always possible. For example, because it just looks ugly when a fat red switch lights up the whole evening. Or because the consumer is far away, maybe in the attic, where the antenna amplifier for the satellite dish eats its 20 watts. Okay, but in that case we could at least use timers.
They cost almost nothing? if they cost 5, - Euro, they are already expensive. Why does the television have to be standby all day, when we're not there anyway? It would be enough if we switch the timer so that the TV is on standby from 6:00 pm to 12:00 am and the rest of the time is switched off. Then we would already have saved 75% (or more!) Of the standby power. Without us noticing any loss of comfort. Take a look around at home, you'll be amazed, where everywhere a device nipples day and night on the river.
