Unplug small appliances and electronic devices when they're not in use. If that seems like too much work, invest in a power strip and get rid of phantom loads-the energy that ... read full tip

Unplug small appliances and electronic devices when they're not in use. If that seems like too much work, invest in a power strip and get rid of phantom loads-the energy that is being sucked from the wall while your gadgets and appliances are off or in standby mode.

More than half of the electricity used to power your home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off, according to a study done at the University of California, Berkeley. That means your television, stereo, and phone chargers-while turned off or not charging anything-account for 5 percent of your total energy bill!

If for one whole year every household in the United States unplugged all appliances and electronics when off or in standby mode, we would save enough energy to power a seven-show Live Earth concert event almost 1 million times over!

U.S. Department of Energy
UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
U.S. Census