Energy Conservation Project (cont)

Project Overview:

After many hours spent gathering and analyzing data on the various always-plugged-in appliances in our home, not to mention five days trying to abide by our schedule of unplugging some appliances every time we used them, unplugging others at bed-time until after-work, and religiously turning off our computers, Brett and I have come to a few pithy and well-timed conclusions about the relative evils of "phantom energy," considering the omnipresent threat of brown-outs in Anchorage this winter:

1. Almost no appliance you leave plugged in and turned off will draw as much energy as a desktop computer or lamp left on.
2. TURN OFF YOUR COMPUTERS WHEN NOT IN USE.
3. The twisty fluorescent bulbs really do use about a third as much energy as old-fashioned ones.
4. The majority of your electric bill proooobably comes from heating, cooling, and lighting your home, not your myriad appliances, and
5. There are probably some appliances you might as well unplug, considering how seldom you use them.
6. Non--digital appliances almost never draw a charge when turned off.

The detailed spreadsheet I used to collect and analyze data for this investigation may be found here (concentrate on the top few lines, and note the bright yellow places of interest). Also, a narrated slide show on the subject may be found here.