It seems so simple and we’re told to do it from an early age, but turning things off never becomes a habit for many people. Even when we try to be good about it occasionally a light gets left on or an appliance is turned on all day.
It may not be much, but the little bit of energy that’s used by things being left on adds up over time. But we’re here to help! In this post we’re teaching you a few easy workarounds to make turning things off automatic and help you start saving energy now.
Leveraging Technology to Overcome Bad Energy Habits
Technology is helping us in ways we never imagined possible just a few years ago. It can even help you overcome the habit of leaving things on around your home. All it takes is having the right technology in place to make powering down something you don’t even have to think about.
Go Automatic With Motion Sensors
If turning lights off when you leave the room is a problem you may want to switch to automatic, motion-sensor lights. At the switch there’s a sensor that can tell when someone enters a room. If there hasn’t been movement for a few minutes the light will automatically shut off. It’s actually a great safety feature in hallways and bathrooms if you get up to use the bathroom at night.
Just make sure to use a light fixture that gives you the option to turn the motion-detection off. That will make automatic light fixtures more practical in high-traffic areas where you may want to leave a few lights off.
Smart Power Strips Are Essential
Sometimes devices get turned off but they are still technically powered up. It’s something called standby power, also known as vampire energy. The best example is your TV. You can turn it off, but it’s still plugged in and drawing a small amount of power. The entertainment center can also have a DVR box, Blu-ray player, streaming devices and more plugged in draining vampire energy.
The solution isn’t trying to turn each thing off and then unplug it each time you’re done. The time it takes to power each device down is probably why things get left on in the first place. A smart power strip will eliminate the hassle and make it much easier to turn things off when they’re not in use.
But today’s smart power strips give you much more than a way to plug in more electronics. They can completely cut out wasteful vampire energy, turn devices on or off based on a pre-set schedule and some can even detect when people are in the room. All you have to do is set up the power strip once and you can control it with an app from anywhere. This alone makes powering devices down much easier since power strips are usually tucked under or behind furniture.
Smart Outlets
Did you forget to turn the coffee machine off? Is the iron still on? What about your computer that you left charging?
When you have smart outlets you’ll know the answer in seconds, and can cut the power to the appliance or device if needed. Smart outlets are one of the latest ways homes are getting an intelligent facelift. It’s a simple way to turn any regular device into a smart device.
The best part is smart outlets are relatively affordable and extremely easy to use. You just plug the smart outlet into the regular outlet and you’re done. At about $10 a pop, start with a two-pack from a longstanding manufacturer like Wyze. If you find that they help you turn things off more often then keep expanding out to more outlets.
Suggestions for Using Smart Outlets
- Use smart outlets for outlets that are hard to reach. You can switch the outlets on and off remotely using an app.
- Use smart outlets with the outlets that are used most often, like the kitchen outlet that powers the coffee maker and toaster oven.
- Keep smart outlets out of the reach of young children.
- Pick up an option like the D-Link’s mydlink Outdoor Wi-Fi Smart Plug for outdoor use in the elements.
Major Energy makes it easy to focus on reducing energy use. We provide reliable, fixed-rate power plans that you can count on. Sign up for service today to see how much you can save by keeping things powered off!