Tip 78: Turn off unneeded lights and appliances

One wasteful thing that bothers me is when I see that someone has gone away for work and has left there outdoor porch light on. It will run all day, burning up electricity and costing money- what a waste! I like to check my outdoor lights before I leave for the day to make sure none were left on.

Not only to outdoor lights get left on, but too often I find lights on in an empty room. Turning off lights that are not being used is a good way to save electricity and lower your utility bill. Sometimes I go too far and accidently turn off lights when someone is actually in the room. I am OK spending a little money to run lights if there is someone in the room. Most places, electricity costs 10 cents per kilowatt hour. Therefore, running a 100W lightbulb costs about 1 cent. I am willing to let this cost go if there is someone in the room. Running lights when no one is in the room adds up over time and is an expense that is easy enough to avoid.

Another potential waste of energy is running unused appliances. I just now got up to turn off a TV that no one was watching. My flat screen TV uses about 300W when it is running, so it is worth the trouble to turn it off if no one is watching. Sometimes, I even notice that the oven was left on during dinner. I have gotten in the habit of checking to make sure it is off before starting to eat.

In addition to saving money on utility bills, you will extend the life of appliances by running them less.

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