As we approach the season of perpetual air-conditioning and fans, electric bills will be rising to keep up with the increased energy usage. If you’re looking to cut down on your energy bill (and who isn’t), unplugging some of the electronics that you don’t use everyday might help. Idle gadgets and appliances use 100 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity nationwide, which costs $11 billion to consumers. From the Mother Jones article:

According to Bruce Nordman, an energy efficiency researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, as a general rule of thumb, the bigger—and older—the device, the more power it sucks up while it’s off… Another tip: “When you put your hand on the adaptor, if it’s hot, it’s using energy. If it’s not hot, it’s probably not using very much energy.”

Among the electronics that use the most energy are cable boxes, computers, and tv’s. Now, they don’t recommend unplugging anything you use everyday (like the refrigerator) or that would have to reboot or risk losing your information (such as DVR’s). Energy star appliances are always a great choice for using less electric. But the extra old TV in the guest bedroom, an extra refrigerator in the garage or basement that isn’t being used, etc. can and should be unplugged.

Do you unplug your electronics when you aren’t using them? If you have, have you noticed a decrease in your energy bill? Let us know, we are curious!