TECHNOLOGY NEWS – I you are concerned about reducing the high cost of electricity, a UK is showing us that turning off electronic equipment and appliances around the house when not in use can save you money and and won’t affect your life.
One item at the top of Ecotricity’s list is the high costs of running your wireless router all the time. Ecotricity shows us that turning off you wireless router when now in use can save USD$37.50 (£21.92) a year on average. Running your wireless router continuously is one of the most expensive gadgets in your home to run.
You can turn it off overnight or when you are not using the internet to save electricity and it will not affect your telephone or usual TV services (if you subscribe to such services), even if you have a package deal. However, anything that runs via the internet, such as TV on demand or catch-up services, will be disabled.
Also, be careful if you use your mobile phone to access the internet when your wireless router is switched off. Depending on your data package, the phone charges could quickly outstrip any savings on your electricity bill.
Also check your electricity rates some customers pay less for energy at night, so switching your router off in the evening may not save as much as you’d hoped.
The following is a list by Ecotricity annual energy usage costs while equipment is on standby. The costs are based on electricity costs in the UK and converted to US dollar using the Google currency converter.
Given the high cost of electricity in Costa Rica, the savings could be much greater than the UK sampling.
Wireless Router – USD$37.50 (£21.92)
Printer (Laser) – USD$31.20 (£18.26)
Set-top (Satellite) – USD$31.20 (£18.26)
Amplifier – USD$20.80 (£12.18)
Compact Hi-Fi – USD$20.80 (£12.18)
iPad charger – USD$20.80 (£12.18)
Nintendo Wii – USD$20.80 (£12.18)
Alarm Clock – USD$10.40 (£6.09)
Microsoft Xbox 360 – USD$10.40 (£6.09)
Modem – USD$10.40 (£6.09)
Sony PlayStation 3 – USD$10.40 (£6.09)
Air freshener plug-in – USD$8.33 (£4.87)
CD player / Tuner – USD$8.33 (£4.87)
Television (Plasma) – USD$8.33 (£4.87)
Video Player – USD$8.33 (£4.87)
Inkjet printer – USD$7.28 (£426)
Desktop PC – USD$6.24 (£3.65)
Nintendo DS – USD$6.24 (£3.65)
Oven (Electric) – USD$6.24 (£3.65)
Microwave – USD$6.24 (£3.65)
Television (CRT & LCD) – USD$5.20 (£3.04)
Mobile phone charger – USD$4.17 (£2.44)
PC monitor (CRT) – USD$4.17 (£2.44)
Electric toothbrush – USD$2.09 (£1.22)
