Small appliances contribute to big energy use

Big things come in small packages, so it shouldn’t surprise you what big energy hogs small items such as digital pictures frames, cell phone chargers and laptop power adapters are.

If every American household had a digital picture frame running around the clock, it would take five power plants to run them all, Forbes says, reporting data from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), an electricity-focused research and development nonprofit.

While bigger home appliances like refrigerators and dryers do their share of energy consumption, small devices are collectively sucking a large amount of energy from the power grid. And as these devices become more commonplace, their energy consumption rises exponentially, according to Forbes.

One reason is many small devices – such as those phone chargers or power adapters – are always plugged in and continually drawing energy, even when the devices they charge are disconnected, Forbes reports. If you have equipment that is always on, like printers or speakers, it’s also running up your electrical bill – even when it’s in sleep mode.

Tom Reddoch, the executive director of energy utilization at EPRI, tells Forbes that the typical U.S. home 30 years ago had about three always-on devices; today, that number has climbed to more than 30.

While a refrigerator typically accounts for about 8 percent of the typical household's total annual energy consumption, Forbes reports Reddoch as estimating that “energy vampire” devices account for about 4 percent.

The easiest way to reduce energy consumption is to turn off and unplug devices when they're not in use, Forbes advises. If that isn't practical or convenient, use a smart power strip to help stop the flow of electricity to an idle current. For instance, some smart strips allow you to set up a lead device like a computer so that when it is turned off, other supporting devices, like printers and speakers, are also turned off.

You can also save energy by adjusting devices’ default settings, such as manually lowering the default brightness and intensity settings on a television set, Forbes says.

To get a better idea of just how much energy you’re using – and wasting – you might want to invest in an electricity monitor like the Kill A Watt, which measures the energy efficiency of household appliances.

You can also save energy as well as on appliances by purchasing energy-efficient products. Visit the U.S. Department of Energy site to find out if you are eligible for a rebate from the government when you buy an Energy Star appliance.

Here’s a more complete list of items you may already have in your home or are considering buying that will consume more energy – and more of your paycheck – through the power they require:

• Plasma TVs

• Digital picture frames

• Videogame consoles

• Set-top boxes

• Battery chargers

• Always-on devices (printers, speakers, computer monitors, etc.)

• External power adapters

• Aquariums

• Dehumidifiers

• Coffee makers

• Air purifiers

• Incandescent light bulbs.

For more information about just how much energy these items use, visit http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/112010/surprising-home-energy-hogs.