Found out the other day that the average microwave uses more electricity in standby mode than my fridge

I was reading through some energy audit reports on the city website and that little stat just jumped out at me. Has anyone else dug into their power bill and found some weird hidden vampire draws like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

shane_martinez4417d ago

I read this thing from a home energy blogger named Mike Holmes Jr. He said standby power on microwaves can hit 3 to 5 watts just to run the clock and the control board. That adds up to like 25 bucks a year if you never unplug it. Meanwhile my fridge pulls maybe 100 watts running but only cycles on a few times an hour. Crazy how a big appliance can be more efficient than a box that just sits there counting down.

clairec7817d ago

Yeah I actually dealt with this myself after reading that same kind of breakdown. What I did was just put all my kitchen counter stuff on a power strip. At night or when I'm not using it I flip the switch. Cuts the standby on the microwave, coffee maker, toaster, everything. The clock thing annoyed me at first but I got used to not seeing it. Honestly I bet I saved more than the 25 bucks Mike Holmes Jr mentioned because I have a bunch of gadgets all sipping power at once. My fridge I leave alone though since it's hardwired anyway and cycling on and off is normal. Just one of those small changes that adds up over the year.