You may have heard a lot about the importance of unplugging appliances to save energy. But you wonder which devices or electronics around the house you should remove from the outlet.

You are not sure if you should turn off and unplug the refrigerator. If you do, things won’t stay as fresh when you return home.

So, here is a general idea of which elements to unplug or switch off.

Unplugging Appliances to Save Energy and Prevent Fire Hazards

Cost savings and energy conservation are the only reasons to disconnect things. Power fluctuations can result in fatal electrical fires in homes, which you can avoid by keeping them unplugged when not in use.

So, to stop wasting energy, unplug these electrical items:

Energy Vampires

Vampire appliances are those that drain electricity even when you switch them off but leave them plugged in. They contribute to phantom load bills, equal to almost 23% of the total energy consumption.

These devices and electronics are phone and laptop charges and entertainment devices like game consoles, TV units, DVR, etc. Remove them from the electrical sockets immediately after charging to 100% or when switching them off.

Or, if you use power strips or surge protectors, you can use them to turn off many devices at once. You don’t have to unplug these large energy hogs.

Kitchen Appliances

Dishwasher, fridge, and oven: these are the three things that you may use the most.  However, you shouldn’t be unplugging these appliances to save energy. You should not unplug even stoves and ranges because they do practically nothing when turned off.

Your fridge may use a little bit of power as it preserves and cools the food. But they all come in-built with concealed plugs that consume near-to-zero watts of electricity.

Things to unplug in the kitchen are small appliances like the blender, high-tech toaster, food processor, coffee maker, microwave, etc. In short, anything that has a digital display should be unplugged.

Computers

You should disconnect your desktop computer, monitor, laptop, printer, scanner, modem, or anything connected to these elements after use.

Turn them off every night and when they are not in active use. It means making a habit of unplugging appliances to save energy and not leaving them in standby mode.

You will also be protecting them from significant damage against power surges and short-circuiting. One more thing you can do to save the planet and your pocket is to buy ENERGY STAR-rated electronics and appliances.

Even if you unplug or switch off all the above as recommended, your bills may still be on the higher side if you stick to your current electricity plan.

Switch to a different provider or energy plan that offers lower rates. Compare electricity prices on Shop Texas Electricity if you live in Texas since most Texans have a choice to select their electricity provider. If you don’t want to do the research, EnerGenie analyzes hundreds of electricity rates and your electricity usage to find you the best match, saving you time and money. Get started today.