Comments on: Saving Pennies or Dollars? Unplugging the Microwave

By: Kathy F

Kathy F — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 19:08:23 +0000

My microwave is built-in above the stove and surrounded by cabinets above and on both sides. I can’t even get to where it plugs in or maybe the contractor who installed has it wired up without a plug. I do have a circuit breaker solely for the microwave that I could turn off. However, my microwave won’t work unless you set its digital clock. I have to do this when the power goes out occasionally, and it is a nuisance.

But I do have a Smart Strip power strip installed on my TV and DVD player setup so that when I turn the TV off, the DVD player goes off (I mean really off). The DVD player does not even have an on/off switch. If it is plugged into a normal outlet, it is on standby showing clock time. I don’t use it for programming just to watch DVDs.

I also use a Smart Strip outlet for my computer, monitor, printer, modem and computer speakers. When I shutdown the computer, every thing else get turned off automatically and has no power connected to the devices.

Smart Strips cost about $35, available from Amazon

By: slccom

slccom — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:37:18 +0000

Keep anything with a thermostat unplugged. Coffee pots are particularly likely to cause fires. Toaster ovens, toasters, coffee or tea pots, anything with a thermostat in it can overheat.

Also, saving appliances from power surges is another good reason.

By: Brian Carr

Brian Carr — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:46:50 +0000

I know it’s minor, but not only are you saving money but you’re not wasting energy that is likely produced by burning coal or some other environmentally unfriendly method. When looking at these things you shouldn’t base your decision solely on dollars and cents.

By: Money Beagle

Money Beagle — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 14:07:13 +0000

The microwave is out of the question as ours is mounted above the stove. I don’t think the $0.24 would make it worth it, plus it’s the main clock we use in the kitchen so you could argue that the ‘value added’ from that $0.24 is worth it in having a reliable time telling tool.

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:57:29 +0000

Thanks for the link to that data table.

I keep the coffee machine unplugged, because we aren’t really coffee drinkers (maybe we brew 2 pots a month). The clock on the microwave is worth $0.24 a month to me

By: carlos

carlos — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:53:06 +0000

You should buy a Kill-a-watt. In some states that have energy audit programs, they will actually give you this device. It plugs into the outlet and then your appliance plugs into the Kill-a-watt. It then monitors electricity use. You can use it to measure the standby power electricity use. Very handy indeed.

I worked for a electric power company and spoke at a standby power expo once. Small world. Anyways, older devices tended to use much more on standby mode… modern devices tend to use much less with the goal of less than 1 watt.

I only completely turn off my flat screen.

I think if you want to save more, perhaps looking at LED lights or natural lighting is a better way to save.

cheers

By: BIGSeth

BIGSeth — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:37:03 +0000

Simply have one less something (beer, dessert, new hat, taxi ride) per month and a lot of these issues go out the window.

By: Charles Cohn

Charles Cohn — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 10:16:39 +0000

The economics of unplugging depends on the season. In the winter, the “wasted” energy helps heat the house and replaces some of the energy that would otherwise go into the furnace, so there is no extra cost for leaving things on and unplugging has no benefit. In summer, on the other hand, the wasted energy has to be removed by the air conditioning, so in this case it costs double.

By: Lo

Lo — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 08:56:01 +0000

In my language there is a saying “Save the small ones, the larger ones will save themselves” meaning save cents and the dollars will be saved too. For me it is also the environmental impact of this move. It is calculated that in Italy, with a population of 60 million roughly, three atomic power plants are required ONLY to keep the red light on(red light being the stand by light on most appliances). On my book that fact alone is more than enough to try and keep those lights off.

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 06:42:12 +0000

It’s best to think about standby power consumption before buying electrical equipment, not afterwards. If you buy a cheap microwave oven without a clock and without any standby power consumption, you save a quarter every month, and do not have to worry about unplugging.

By: moom

moom — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 06:11:30 +0000

If I travel for more than a few days I turn off all the electricity at the fuse box/panel apart from the circuit the fridge is on if the freezer has stuff in it.

By: Nick

Nick — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 03:51:13 +0000

For me this would be a total waste of time. The microwave that came with my apartment is the most poorly programmed microwave in existence. When it’s plugged in for the first time you are REQUIRED to enter the full time (with am/pm), day, month, and year, BEFORE you can use it to actually microwave anything. Why the hell does my microwave need to know the full day, month, and year?

Needless to say, it takes at least 30 seconds to a minute to enter all this information, and having to do so every time we have a thunderstorm or blow a fuse is bad enough, let alone if I had to each time I just wanted to use the thing.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 22:41:41 +0000

“Unplugging the microwave to save money on the standby energy use saves pennies, not dollars, and is probably not worth the additional effort unless the plug-in is very convenient.”

Or if the purpose for doing so is to conserve energy, not save money. Although I realize TSD is about saving money, so environmental benefits aren’t usually listed as a reason to do something.

By: Mister E

Mister E — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:23:00 +0000

I have my microwave unplugged only because I’ve never really figured out what good they are, I got is as a hand me down many years ago.

I do keep my coffee maker plugged in because I couldn’t be bothered to fuss with the plug every day for a few cents.

By: Tanya

Tanya — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:54:01 +0000

I like having the clocks available on my VCR and microwave. It’s worth a quarter to me to have that clock handy in the kitchen!

By: valleycat1

valleycat1 — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:22:24 +0000

If you only use a microwave once a month or so, the better choice is to live without one. We didn’t replace ours when it died 10 years ago (we only used it in the mornings to heat our water for tea, & the occasional food reheating) and haven’t ever missed it. We didn’t notice any change either direction in our electric bill, either.

Cutting the power to our tv/cable box wipes out the program listing, which takes forever to regenerate itself, so it’s not worth the hassle.

By: Bill

Bill — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:10:21 +0000

One other advantage to unplugging something is that you help protect it from surges and or brown outs. I’ve had friends lose small appliances like coffee makers or microwaves because of the damage done by voltage issues. It certainly saves if the item lasts longer and doesn’t need replacement.