Those of us old enough to remember early television know that it took a few moments for the sets to warm up and start running. The vacuum tubes inside them and in radios took a few minutes to get going.
Today nothing’s like that except the toaster and the
oven. Everything else “warms up” instantly.
Why? How?
Because nothing is ever really “off.” Not anymore.
It’s on “Standby,” breathlessly awaiting your command to start.
Your cell phone charger draws power when it’s plugged in,
even if your cell phone is not attached. Ditto your iPod, iPad, Kindle,
and anything else with a battery.
When your laptop computer is charged, and it’s still plugged
into the wall, it’s still drawing power.
When your TV is “off” it’s still drawing power. It’s
on Standby.
See all those lights on your cable or satellite box?
What do you think allows them to shine? Why, goodness! It’s the
electricity from your wall.
The cordless phone is always on. To correct that you
have to pull it out of the wall once it says “charge complete.”
The clock on the microwave, the clock on the stove, the
clock on the coffeemaker, the night light in the button for your doorbell.
Nothing is off.
Nothing.
Your burglar alarm is always on, and, of course, you want it
to be. Same with your wall or desk clocks -- the few that still run on
household current. (And when was the last time you heard anyone say “household
current?”)
Now, granted, these are not big users of electricity.
But while rates are as high as they are, they are SOMETHING. Probably
more than the corkscrew bulbs which you bought for an arm or the LCD bulbs you
bought for an arm and a leg, and which use relatively few watts.
How many TV sets do you have? How many battery operated
this-and-that pads and pods and cell phones and cordless phones, cameras and
video cameras.
And how about the refrigerator? Does the light really
go out when you close the door? Are you sure? ABSOLUTELY sure?
You push the little push thing on the refrigerator frame and
the light goes out. But you can’t see when you actually close the
door. Maybe it’s a “smart” refrigerator (like a “smartphone”) and can
tell the difference between when you push the push-thing and when the DOOR
pushes it. (And you can’t set the timer on a camera and seal the camera
in the refrigerator and have it take a picture, because the flash will make it
look like the light is on, even if it isn’t. And probably you shouldn’t
sit a small child in the thing and close the door, even for a moment. Who
knows, maybe the phone will ring, you’ll answer and leave the poor kid in there
until he suffocates.)
You can help make this posting more complete. Do you
have a tankless water heater, a “Hoveround” or a sleep number bed? If you
do, please check and see if they’re actually all the way off when not in use.
I’m Wes Richards. My opinions are my own but you’re welcome
to them. ®
Any Questions? wesrichards@gmail.com
© WR 2021
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