Unbiased Information and Reviews on Appliances, Solar and Saving Electricity

Switch off the Plug Point

By on November 13, 2019

Many a time we think that switching off the Television/AC from remote, or just turning the power button off for an appliance makes sure that it is not consuming any electricity. But the fact is that the appliance continues to consume electricity till the plug point is not switched off. The LEDs, voltage stabilizer (if used) and internal circuitry constantly consume electricity until the power is switched off from the plug point. This is also evident when you touch the mobile charger, voltage stabilizer, set-top box etc. and can confirm the amount of energy being wasted as heat energy. 

study done on this topic reveals that we waste about 7-10% of units consumed in the form of standby power.

Some sample numbers for various appliances are as given below:

Appliance Standby Power
Television Set 7 W
DVD Player 7.54 W
Set Top Boxes 17.8 W
Video Games 23.34 W
Laptop 15.77 W
Desktop PC 21.13 W
Modem 5.37 W
Music System 13 W
Speaker System 2 W
Cell Phone Charger 2.24 W
Microwave Oven 3.08 W

Details on more appliances can be found on the US government research link.

Based on the number of hours an appliance is connected to the mains and is switched on, one can calculate units consumed per month. This number will give a good indication of how much the electricity bill can be reduced by taking simple measures.

Thus unknowingly, people waste a lot of electricity in the form of standby power. A simple way to cut this down is to make a habit of switching off the appliances from the plug point as soon as the appliance has not been used. For those who find it difficult to unplug many appliances in a go, they can use a surge strip or power strip to control the same. A typical power strip has 4-5 plug points and can be connected & switched off from the mains through a single plug. Smart power strips or energy-saving power strips that automatically disconnect appliances from mains when in sleep mode, are available in various developed countries. We will continue to research and provide you with ways you can source them in India. So keep reading Bijli Bachao!

About the Author:
Abhishek Jain is an Alumnus of IIT Bombay with almost 10 years of experience in corporate before starting Bijli Bachao in 2012. His passion for solving problems moved him towards Energy Sector and he is keen to learn about customer behavior towards Energy and find ways to influence the same towards Sustainability. .

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