Answers to All Your Electricity Questions Help Save Energy
by Christine Lepisto, Berlin 
on 07.11.08
Electricity Overload Leads to Bad Energy Saving Decisions
Do you suffer from "electricity overload"? We don't mean the number of plugs crowding your outlets. We mean the short circuit in your brain when you try to figure out:
- Do you save energy by turning lights off for only a few minutes?
- Which takes more energy: leaving air conditioning on all day or cooling your house after you come home at night?
- What is a watt?
- Do I pay twice as much for an appliance running on 240V as one on 120V?
Never fear: Mr. Electricity has the answers to all your electricity questions. Mr. Electricity is Michael Bluejay, the fanatic behind Saving Electricity. Filled with great tips, useful tools and clear explanations, this site is a must-read.
Mr. Electricity explains how to really understand the information provided by manufacturer's labels and how to use this information in your decisions to achieve the best energy efficiency improvements. For example, most appliances do not constantly use the rated amount of watts power. A refrigerator uses little power when the compressor is not running. A computer uses more when reading a CD or crunching big memory calculations. Mr. Electricity helps you find a way through the maze of uncertainty. With all that you learn, you will save money, help the environment, and probably impress your friends at the next party too.
More Tips for Saving Electricity:
How to Green Your Electricity
Reduce Your Home Electricity Consumption
Getting Ready for Earth Day: Saving Energy at Home
Graphic Of The Day: USA Residential Energy Consumption Outpacing Population Growth
Watt-watching Power Meter Strips:
Save 70% on Electricity and See the Results with Smart USB-programmable Power Strip
Kill-a-watt
Visit Michael Bluejay's Saving Electricity:
Saving Electricity
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
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- Forget Going Green Because It's the Right Thing to Do—Go Green to Make Your Neighbors Jealous
- Create a Go Green Plan: Follow Wa$ted!'s Salon Example
- Improve Air Conditioner Efficiency with 9 Cool Tips
- Did You Know Saving Water = Saving Electricity?
- We Love 5min.com for Simple DIY Solutions
Myth busters did an experiment testing at what point do you save electricity after turning a lightbulb off as opposed to leaving it on. Apparently for a standard incandescence it's about 0.14 seconds. So if you're going to be out of a room for more than 0.14 seconds, you can save electricity by turning the light off.
I love this guy's website. Here I found out about the Chillow, a water-filled pillow that makes it possible to sleep without an AC on hot nights (http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/cooling.html).
I also like his story about playing a piano in a mall (http://michaelbluejay.com/humor/performanceart.html).
I use a power strip with my stereo, sub, CD player, and TV. But I ALWAYS forget to turn it off or, turn it on when I sit down. Ugh. I think the auto one and off strips are too expensive plus, I already own so many power-strips. I don't need another.
So I have left it on BUT plug it into an appliance timer I already own (those $6-10 box like electronic timers with multi day, time programable settings - NOT a lamp timer). I have the timer set up to come in the morning for a few hours. I sometimes watch morning shows. Then it goes off for the day (no power to the strip while I am at work). Then it comes on for any evening TV watching.
Unfortunately I need to leave the satellite/tivo combo box plugged in as it records shows for me at all hours and needs to be on late at night for program updates or I am charged $5 a month. It does have a power save which I set to fastest on setting.
Wow, this is the coolest site ever, my new favourite (after treehugger of course!) How long has this guy been around? People need to know these things!
JC,
It sounds like you have an IV hooked to your brain filled with your favorite drug.
Why don't you read a book instead? Or just rent shows at video-store/netflix?
Cool. Personally, I'm a physics/math guy and I rarely have a problem figuring out the calculations on what saves more energy, at least approximately. But once in a while, it is good to have a website to go to to just find out for sure.
Hecateus, you are entitled to your opinion about watching television but you are not entitled to being rude about it.
I get allergy shots once a month and after I get them I go straight to bed so I won't feel the pain in my arms. I had a chillow pillow and would postion it so I could sleep on the side that had the most pain and it helped. Unfortunatly it spang a leak, (think my cat walked on it one to many times). I also got so when I had a migraine it would help (you'll try anything when you have a migrain or your sinuses are acting up).
Zig