DocAndersen
Power vampires can be frustrating when you are trying to manage your home’s power consumption. First, like here on Virily it is what you can measure. How much power a device “draws” when it is on and how much it “draws” when it is off can be difficult. In the US, there is the Energy Star rating that tells you how much power the device draws when on. What it doesn’t do is tell you how much power it sips when the device is off. One of the things you have to consider is the nature of the device first, do you need it to be available. Most people would argue that refrigerators have to be on all the time. The freezer and refrigerator can cycle all day long and not impact the good. You have to make sure your refrigerator and freezer are well insulated. They can maintain an on/off cycle most of the day and reduce the overall power drain of the device.
In my last series of posts on this topic, Alex Levante and I started talking about the concept of a smart device. In the world of appliances, a smart device is one that is internet-connected. For example, I have a friend who is as big a weather geek as I am. She has an interest connected toaster that burns the weather forecast for the day onto the toast. Burns is the process, not the result in that case. The toast during the toasting process has the imprint of today’s weather on it when done. The device is always on and always connected to the internet. But that is an advertising label, and the device isn’t any smarter it is just connected to the internet. The definition of a smart device going forward might be a little different.
First, the device would shut off when it wasn’t used. In fact, if it were really smart it would watch you. (for me, the coffee pot goes on at 330 am and off around 4 am and not on the rest of the day). My coffee pot gets unplugged today because it is not smart and sips power all day if I don’t unplug it. The other side of a smart device should be, when am I used. If I am used at 5 am every day (to toast something), only turn on five minutes before that. Turn on, and truly means do not draw power until 2 minutes before you are on. Do whatever download you have to do but only draw power when you are getting ready to be used. The value of appliances is they reduce the time to complete a task (masking mashed potatoes with a mixer versus by hand is a great example). But in the modern age of Climate Awareness, we also need to make sure we are not making the world a worse place for the convenience of whipped potatoes! The concept I would propose is a smart device that pays attention to when it is used. When it is not used, to shut itself off and only run its internal clock off a rechargeable battery. That way it comes on at the right time, but doesn’t consume power when it is off!
Smart shouldn’t just mean connected to the internet!
-
Question of
Would you pay a dollar more for a smart appliance that actually save you 10 dollars a year in consumed power?
-
Yes
-
No
-
-
Question of
do you like this definition of smart appliances?
-
Yes
-
No
-
-
Question of
connection doesn’t equal smart, right?
-
Yes
-
No
-
-
Question of
Sadly home appliances are only 12% of global power consumed, but its a start, right?
-
Yes
-
No
-
-
Question of
Have you ever looked at the power sticker of an appliance before you bought it?
-
Yes
-
No
-
I would love to see a smart device that would haul my ass off the bed every morning then place me on treadmill and let me run or walk on it for 30mins whether I like it or not ???
a pixie plucker!
what a great idea!
Hahahahaha yeah and you came up with a name! That is great ?. Ever watch Edward Scissorshand? He got there a machine for grooming ???
i have traumatic memories around Edward Scissorshand the movie.
Traumatic? Why so? Johnny Depp was cute even in that character ?. Well, he was cute as pirate too
we took my stepdaughter (she begged) when it was in the theaters and it became a huge mess.
I don’t think I have a smart appliance in our home Mostly have to connect things when I use them except the fridge and freezer which have to be on all the time. We have to watch what power we use here
we have frequent outages in the summer, I understand that watching part!
Q: WOULD YOU PAY A DOLLAR MORE FOR A SMART APPLIANCE THAT ACTUALLY SAVE YOU 10 DOLLARS A YEAR IN CONSUMED POWER?
Yes (10 votes) – 100%
Q: DO YOU LIKE THIS DEFINITION OF SMART APPLIANCES?
Yes (9 votes) – 100%
Q: CONNECTION DOESN’T EQUAL SMART, RIGHT?
Yes (8 votes) – 89%
No (1 votes) – 11%
Q: SADLY HOME APPLIANCES ARE ONLY 12% OF GLOBAL POWER CONSUMED, BUT ITS A START, RIGHT?
Yes (9 votes) – 100%
Q: HAVE YOU EVER LOOKED AT THE POWER STICKER OF AN APPLIANCE BEFORE YOU BOUGHT IT?
Yes (9 votes) – 90%
No (1 votes) – 10%
I know it is only a tiny amount of power involved, but do you leave your computer on “sleep” when you are away from it for a few hours, or turn everything off and power back up again when you come back?
my computer is off completely. From a security perspective sleeping computers or hibernate mode is very risky.
hackers can get around security and turn the machine on easily.
i turn mine off every single time. Great question by the by!!!
Great post. I always try to turn things off when I am not using them, but I guess I should find out if unplugging some of them is better. Of course Energy Star appliance are a must these days… and if and whenever I buy one, I make sure it is labeled as such. Thank you for writing such a post… we all need to do our effort in order to help lessen the climate change if at all possible.
in some cases, you have to unplug them, sorry. the vampires have little lights on them.
I realized that I missed two of those in my kitchen this morning! Lights low and to the right side of the device where I wasn’t looking.
I would certainly buy such a device. It already had one device, but it didn’t work.
the actually working part, and not difficult to use is the hard part!
I don’t like it when the devices are smarter than me, haha. We use plugs with switches mostly for safety reasons, but saving energy is an added bonus.
it really is a valuable thing to do! both in fact! I have a power strip that I can shut off automatically in the kitchen. It kills the power to 4 vampires!
A nice article making a reader think about how many power vampires he /she has.
thanks – trying to do my bit to help!
Would love to see a photo of that piece of toast! Positive post my friend! 🙂
I will ask for a picture, I never even thought about that. (seeing what it would look like)
I can imagine how it looks.
from what I was told the weather is displayed on the toaster and the toast only shows the sunny/cloudy aspect of the weather.
Oh I see, that is pretty cool.
yeah it doesn’t work really well, but well she is as big a geek as I am.
Great post again, dear friend….. Hopefully smartphones will really work … right now I’m thinking of buying a smart TV
i have a smart tv in my office that I use for pictures! (literally plays a slide show of family pictures. It is calming!
Then this would be a wise purchase, dear friend
i got it for 1/2 what it normally costs I was happy!
That’s a great discount, dear friend
shopping is all about discounts! Now, my wife and I disagree about what savings really mean,
I agree with you on definition of smart appliances
i am hoping that the next generation of smart appliances will handle this.
I love smart appliances. some people fear all new and unknown but I am curious and want to try everything. And if appliance is really smart, it turns off when it is not used.
that is so important, many do not, and that is sad. 🙂
This is great advice and we are lucky to have you here to deliver it. THANK YOU!
Thanks. I am focusing on positive like you and Carol!!!