unplugging appliances debate

[Madx]

i say only unplug the ones with clocks spouse says to unplug lamps and toasters, mixers. If there is no led or clock to draw electricity does it help to unplug them?

[RBM]

If the appliance has no remote control associated with it,and no lights or clocks, it's not drawing any current while off. I will say we had a toaster oven turn on by itself, overheat and melt, so we unplug the new one after each use

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Won't make any difference on them. I've heard stories of appliances being damaged by power surges, lightening strikes, etc. but that would be extremely rare.

[RicodJour]

Are you asking about energy consumption or safety? If it's an energy consumption question the amount of energy that an LED clock uses is so minuscule that it's not worth unplugging.

R

[CJT]

What brand was the toaster oven?

[ransley]

A lamp has a 120v switch no power goes to it when off, a toaster would be the same unless it has a lit display. Get a Kill-a-Watt meter and an amp meter to do your own energy audit

[RBM]

Toastmaster, but I don't know which model

[Oren]

I read the reviews on these devices. There is a newer model that you can now input your average kWh cost in and it computes your costs. The new one also has a reset button, instead of having to wait between device testing.

The model number for the new Kill-A-Watt EZ is P4460.

[AZ Nomad]

It makes no sense to unplug any of them. Your fridge uses ten times more power than all the others combined. Ask a friend a buck to cover you for the cost of the next year and you'll be ok.

[Joseph Meehan]

Not that easy. Many of them have computers that may draw current all the time. Of course not all do. That said, most of those that do draw current draw very very little. During the winter that current is going into heat production anyway so don't worry, but in the summer it could be costing you double once of the electric and once to cool the home due to the added heat.

[Phisherman]

It helps to unplug small appliances after using them. Ask your insurance agent.

[RBM]

What appliance has an onboard computer that doesn't have a clock associated with it?

[AZ Nomad]

Yeah. Maybe a whole 50 cents a month. Turn the AC back a single degree to see twenty times the savings.

[salty]

One vital and universally overlooked caveat to the "it's making heat anyway" argument: Where I live, electric heat is FAR more expensive than heat from any other energy source.