Unplug THESE appliances in your home and SAVE big

Let’s give Eskom some credit, we are enjoying a good run of reduced load-shedding. Nevertheless, you never know when that can turnaround and you can always do your part to save electricity and unplug these appliances when not in use.

UNPLUG THESE APPLIANCES IN YOUR HOME

Ah yes, that bright red light flashing wildly on your prepaid electricity meter. That’s the sign that your electricity – and money – is disappearing fast. So, we wanted to identify which appliances in your home use the most electricity. That way, you’ll know to turn off and unplug them when not required.

STILL USING POWER EVEN WHEN OFF

When you switch off an appliance off, annoyingly, it’s still using power. Many appliances have a standby function that allows them to be turned on again quickly. This is what consumers want in our instant-gratification world.

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This is done with the help of black cubes in the power lead. These convert alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC) electricity. And the sensors and circuits inside them monitor the current of the device constantly, using small amounts of power while on standby. That’s why you must unplug these appliances when not in use.

POWER USAGE OF HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES

Appliance	Minimum	Maximum
Clock radio	1W	2W
Phone charger	4W	7W
Internet router	5W	15W
LED lightbulb	7W	10W
Curling iron	25W	35W
42-inch LED TV	58W	60W
Laptop computer	50W	100W
Ceiling fan	60W	70W
Apple iMac	60W	240W
Incandescent light bulb	100W	100W
Fridge	100W	200W
Gaming console	120W	200W
42-inch plasma TV	450W	600W
Vacuum cleaner	450W	900W
Washing machine	500W	500W
Microwave	600W	1700W
Toaster	800W	1800W
Iron	1000W	1000W
Tumble dryer	1000W	4000W
Air conditioner	1000W	4000W
Dishwasher	1200W	1500W
Kettle	1200W	3000W
Induction Hob	1400W	1800W
Airfryer	1500W	1500W
Hairdryer	1800W	2500W
Electric stove	2000W	2000W

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We discovered these figures when we had a power outage and made use of an EcoFlow portable power station. It’s essentially a large battery pack that lasts for several hours depending on the size you choose and when you plug into it. Usefully, it tells you energy consumption of items real-time.

SADLY, NEWER IS BETTER

Amazingly, the plasma TV versus an LED is crazy: 450W for the plasma versus 58W for the newer LED. Same deal with an LED lightbulb (7W) versus a regular incandescent bulb at 100W. And look at how much power your old electric stove is using. Alternatives like induction hobs and airfryer – while still energy intensive – are more efficient.

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There you have it, unplug these appliances in your home and you’ll save big. Tell us what you’re doing to save electricity. Be sure to share your thoughts with our audience in the comments section below. And don’t forget to follow us @TheSANews on Twitter and The South African on Facebook for the latest updates.

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