Most nights before I go to bed I put my things in my backpack for the next day, flip of the light switch in the office, and stumble through the dark family room to my bathroom, up the stairs, and into sleep.
Some nights, after turning off the lights, I realize I forgot to tuck a binder into my bag, and I reverse the process. When I walk back into the office everything glows. The power switch on the computer, the monitor itself, both printer switches, the power strip switch; even if they’re “off.” Even if you've shut down your computer or printer, if there is a glowing switch, it’s still using electricity. This is also true for TVs, cell phone chargers, coffee makers, and other devices. Instead of spending 20 minutes every night running around your house unplugging everything in sight and then cursing in the morning when you have to bend down to reach the socket again, use power strips. Plug in all your “glowing” appliances to one strip and switch it off, cutting the power to everything. Just make sure your documents are saved first.That’s the first step: turning off the lights. I know its been drilled into many of our heads, but it’s easy to walk out of a room and tell yourself you’ll be back in a second. Soon, you've made yourself a snack and you’re sitting at the kitchen table flipping through the Costco coupons that came that day. An hour later you wander back and the lights are blazing. Just make it a habit to reach up and flip off that switch every time you leave a room. Try putting a brightly colored Post-it on all the switches for a week so you’re forced to think about it before you walk away.
So, grab a couple power strips next time you’re at the hardware store, and put up your sticky notes to start on the smooth path to a quieter conscious and a lower electricity bill.
