Julianna Ferrari

Standby energy drain accounts for anywhere from 5 to 10 percent of an average home's annual power usage. Around $4 billion in wasted spending across America every year. For most families, that means a minimum of $130 a year--more than some people spend on a typical month's electric bill. This accounts for 1 percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions, that's equal to the combined annual production of dozens of power plants.

Video Many electronic items still draw power when they're turned off. You can save energy by using simple actions such as unplugging your electronics when you are not using them. Planning ahead helps you conserve energy and save money on your electricity bill. Even if you have difficulty remembering to turn off your electronic equipment, you can utilize timers and energy saving features that will help you reach your goal of saving energy at home.

Turn off the monitor on your computer when you are not using it for more than 20 minutes, even if you don't turn off the computer. Monitors use zero energy when they are turned off. Connect your printer, computer fax machine, and other electronic devices to a power strip. Turn the power strip off before you go to sleep at night, or if you know you are not going to be using the equipment for a couple of hours. Turn off televisions, stereos, DVD players, and other audio/visual equipment before you leave home, or if you are not actively watching them. Avoid leaving your television on all night when you are sleeping. Set the sleep timer on your television so it will turn itself off after a set period of time. Unplug all battery chargers when not in use such as cell phone and PDA chargers. Don't allow the charging unit to stay plugged into the outlet and draw power.

Power strips can monitor electricity use and automatically cut power to devices in vampire mode. Watt stopper incorporates a motion detector and turns electronics off when a room is unoccupied for several minutes. Surge protector lets you cut off power to devices with a wireless controller. All these models offer at least two "always on" outlets, giving you the ability to leave items such as DVRs or routers on.

ProductAnnual Cost Desktop Computer$6.20 Laptop (fully charged)$2.06 LCD Computer Monitor$1.03 Wireless Router$4.13 DSL Modem$5.16 External USB Hard Drive$2.06 Computer Speaker System$5.16 Inkjet Printer$4.28 DVD Player$3.60 Powered Subwoofer$15.50 Microwave Oven$2.48 Plasma TV$165 Cable Box$10.33 DVR$27.90 national average rate of 11.8 cents per kilowatt-hour

" Unplug those unused electronics and save energy and money! - YouTube." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Jan "Green-Changing Experience: #8 Termination of unplugging unused appliances:." Green-Changing Experience. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Jan "How to Reduce Your Electricity Bill by 20-50% | Getting The Win." Tips to Save Money, Be Frugal, and Get Free Stuff | GettingTheWin.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Jan