I've never been a fan of electric clocks–and not just because they glow in the dark. They glow all the time and are an insidious waste of electricity. Like the one on our gas stove pictured above. What's the point of every appliance being a clock too? If I wanted a clock, I'd surely choose one that didn't glow red, green or blue.

My task for today was to find and eliminate as many sources of leaking electricity in our home as possible. Not just as many clocks as possible (ironically the clock on the stove would prove to be impossible to turn off), but all the consumer electronics products and small appliances that consume electricity when you think they are "off." Things like TVs and VCRs, the ubiquitous cable box, the stereo, the answering machine, the printer/copier, etc.

My strategy was to turn off all the lights in the house and look for things that were glowing in the dark (this isn't a 100% foolproof way to identify all phantom loads, but it's a good starting point). In addition to the kitchen, I quickly focused on the two rooms we use as his and her offices.

Here's what I found in my office (all plugged in to a power strip with a broken on/off switch): two laptop computers, computer printer/copier, digital camera dock, a space heater and a computer speaker system that has been glowing blue 24/7 for years. In addition, the phone/fax/answering machine and a mobile phone charger were plugged directly in to a wall socket.

The solution for my office was a new power strip with a working on/off switch and a surge protector ($32.84 at Radio Shack). Now I can shut the power off to everything but the phone/fax/answering machine when I'm not working. (In fact, I can and should only flip the power strip switch on when I need to do more than just work on my laptop, which has a three-hour battery.)

My wife's office (which serves as our TV room as well) was an easier and cheaper fix. All I had to do was make the two operable power strip/surge protectors already in use accessible so we can turn them on and off; one strip is devoted to Alisan's work (computer, monitor, cable modem and router) and the other is devoted to our entertainment (TV, VCR, DVD/CD player and stereo receiver). And, now all she/we have to do is get in the habit of switching the power strips on and off.

Was I able to eliminate every phantom load in our home? Nope. In addition to the phone/fax/answering machine that needs to run 24/7, the digital cable box has to relearn everything every time you turn it on, so I chose to plug it directly in to a wall outlet. The microwave oven is plugged in to an outlet that is impossible to access without removing the microwave, and then there's that damn clock on the stove …

But for $32.84 and a little diligence, I was able to eliminate the standby power waste from 14 out of 18 of the pesky phantoms I found in my home. It may take a while to recoup the Radio Shack expenditure, but saving money in the short run isn't as important to me as reducing energy consumption–which will save money in the long run.

Carbon Neutral Journal's stats are brought to you by Blue Spruce Cleaners.

Popularity: 13%