Which Appliance Uses The Most Electricity?

If you are like me you have guessed at the refrigerator or the air conditioning system.  These are the obvious culprits, but there are small appliances that use a huge amount of electricity and most people aren't even aware of it.

Look on top of your television and you will find the answer.  High definition DVRs and high def. digital cable boxes use more electricity in one year than a 21 cubic foot, energy efficient refrigerator.  More than your air conditioner.

In the United States these appliances do not go into sleep mode, but are continuously running at full power.  In Europe, they are required to design DVRs and cable boxes to have an automatic sleep mode or an automatic shut down.  Why we have not is beyond me, but is indicative of our overuse of fuel in this country.

Having these appliances makes it very hard for the average homeowner to significantly lower their electric bill.  No matter how much you try these little boxes are going to keep your bill well above where it should be.

So to bypass this electrical drain problem I suggest an easily accessible power strip with all of your entertainment equipment plugged into it.  When you are not watching television turn off the power strip. You may wish to do the same with your computer equipment as they also drain power when not being used.

This just proves that to live frugally we need to look beyond the obvious to the seemingly minute things that may be costing us a great deal of money.

God bless,
Pam