A really easy way to save some electrical costs is to use surge protectors/power strips on groups of things used at the same time. I'll explain. I have my TV, DVD player and cable box all on one surge protector. When I finish watching TV at night I turn off the TV of course, but I also turn off the power strip. It's on the floor, so I just hit it with my foot. No trouble and it doesn't go on again until the next night. I do the same with my chargers: phone, camera, iPod and netbook, all on one strip. The charges stay plugged in all the time, but each morning I just turn off the power strip. I also have this computer, monitor, speakers, external drives on one UPS. After shutting down, I just turn it off.
I have certain lights on timers so the are on automatically (so I don't have to stumble into a dark room) and they are off automatically, so they aren't forgotten and left going all night. Most of us are creatures of habit enough to do this with a few well placed lamps. I cannot over state how useful this is.
On some power company sites it's estimated that these few things can save as much as 10% off an electric bill! And here in FL I go even farther during the bad storms and unplug everything I value. I know it sounds drastic, but there is no other way to insure important electrical items are safe from the super spikes we get here in the lightening capital! I know there are other high-tech, expensive ways to protect these things, but I say the easiest and cheapest is best - so just unplug it during a storm and turn off the surge protectors and UPS outlets when not in use.
I have certain lights on timers so the are on automatically (so I don't have to stumble into a dark room) and they are off automatically, so they aren't forgotten and left going all night. Most of us are creatures of habit enough to do this with a few well placed lamps. I cannot over state how useful this is.
On some power company sites it's estimated that these few things can save as much as 10% off an electric bill! And here in FL I go even farther during the bad storms and unplug everything I value. I know it sounds drastic, but there is no other way to insure important electrical items are safe from the super spikes we get here in the lightening capital! I know there are other high-tech, expensive ways to protect these things, but I say the easiest and cheapest is best - so just unplug it during a storm and turn off the surge protectors and UPS outlets when not in use.
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