Electronics & Office Equipment

Every room in an American home contains a host of devices that are indispensable to our lives, yet are often only used for a short period each day. These electronics, the most significant of which include televisions, DVD/Blu-ray Disc players, telephones, and external power adapters, all consume energy regardless of whether we’re actually using them. As such, energy efficient models and the devices currently available to manage this constant energy drain are in high demand.

As more and more Americans are taking advantage of the internet and its ability to grant us instant worldwide communication, document sharing, and video conferencing, the home office is growing in importance and energy consumption. Monitors, telephones, faxes, and other office staples consume a substantial amount of energy, thus increasing a household’s electricity bills. Managing these costs is important to maintaining the cost-effectiveness of working from home.

A large percentage of the energy consumed by electronics devices does not come from the hours spent watching television or surfing the internet, but from the time these devices spend in “standby” mode. This so-called “vampire energy loss” can account for 5 to 8% of a household’s electricity bill. There are two main ways to reduce this loss: 1) Invest in ENERGY STAR certified models, which use less energy or 2) Reduce the time that devices are in “standby” mode by using "Smart" power strips.