Unplugging to save on your electric bill is a great idea, but there are certain appliances you should keep plugged in to limit your risk.
Every home uses different electronic devices, so whether or not to unplug to save money depends on what the device is.
If you are curious to know how much electricity a particular appliance consumes, you can use a Watt meter. Then make a decision about cutting your home’s electricity costs, but there are 3 devices you shouldn’t unplug:
1. Water Heater
Many people often think that unplugging the water heater when not in use will save money on electricity. However, if the water heater is allowed to cool, the water in the tank becomes a breeding ground for nasty microorganisms like Legionella bacteria.
Therefore, saving a few dollars a month is not worth the risk of disease and inconvenience.
In addition, the water heater also has a heat preservation function. When a certain temperature is reached, the device will stop heating the water. Conversely, when the water temperature drops, the machine will restart to maintain the required temperature. If the frequency of using the water heater is relatively high, you should not unplug the power plug because the machine will have to restart many times, consuming a lot of power and reducing the life of the device.
However, if you want to save money and still have safe hot water on demand, consider switching to a tankless water heater.
2. Monitoring or Alarm devices
Most people today are equipped with surveillance cameras or alarm devices to limit risks. Unplugging these devices will disable the monitoring function, leading to the risk of furniture theft, while the power saving effect is not high.
3. Router or Modem
Today, most electronic devices have the ability to connect to the Internet, support users to activate or control remotely. Therefore, unplugging the router or Internet modem will not make much sense.
Hopefully the information that Tech5s has just provided will be useful to you in optimizing your monthly electricity costs.