Sidney Stonecypher a local loan officer at People’s Bank here in Bellingham shared this article with me on how to cut down on your home’s electricity usage, and I thought it might be helpful to pass along.

Most people don’t know that TVs, DVD players, game consoles, computers and chargers for cell phones and other electronic devices can draw energy 24/7, even when idle.

The typical American home has 40 of these electronic devices, continuously drawing power. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley Lab says they account for almost 10% of home energy use. Here are some easy ways to cut this cost.

Unplug After Charging. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says one of the best ways to cut costs is to simply unplug devices as soon as they’re charged. That’s because standard chargers keep feeding power to a device after it’s fully charged. They also draw small amounts of energy even when no device is attached!

Set on Energy Saving. Configure the energy settings on computers and monitors so they power down after you stop using them. The EPA says these setting could save up to $85 a year.

Check Standby Power Ratings. Choose home appliances, like microwaves and cordless phones, with the lowest standby-power ratings. These ratings measure how much energy a device uses when idle. You can look them up at http://www.eere.energy.gov/.

You can also buy energy saving chargers and power strips with automatic shut-offs. But be careful. They all cost money and may save only a few dollars a year, versus the charger you’re using that just needs to be unplugged when it’s finished.

Thanks Sidney and People’s Bank for the great article!