Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

This article comes from the official account of Wechat: SF Chinese (ID:kexuejiaodian), author: SF

(Jocelyn Timperley / tr. by Phil Newell)

The original article is published in Science focus 2023.01.

Many people think that if you turn off the switch of electrical equipment, you will no longer consume electricity. But whenever I receive the electricity bill, I feel baffled and feel that I don't use so much electricity. After turning off the switch, does the appliance really no longer consume electricity? If turning off the switch still does not solve the problem, what should be done?

In 012022, a report released by the British Gas Company (British Gas) showed that some household appliances still consume electricity while on standby. If these appliances are completely cut off, each British household can save an average of £147a year (about 1256 yuan) in electricity bills. The report triggered a new round of discussion. Appliances will unwittingly consume power when they are on standby or when they are not in use. For example, a charger plugged in but not connected to your phone may quietly add a few cents to your electricity bill.

How much power does the standby appliance consume? In order to reduce these unnecessary expenses, what should we do?

In the report, British Gas listed TV set-top boxes, routers and televisions as the three most power-consuming "vampires" on standby. At the same time, the report also points out that microwave ovens, game consoles and computers also consume a lot of electricity when they are on standby.

Craig Merson, deputy director of climate, environment and sustainability at the UK Technology Industry Association (techUK), believes that because of too many variables, it is difficult to calculate the average percentage of extra spending on standby appliances as a percentage of total expenditure.

"first of all, there are different electricity prices in different regions; moreover, more advanced energy services and smart meters can also help people save money, and people use different electrical equipment." Merson said. However, there are still some people who are trying to calculate a specific number. According to calculations by the British Energy Saving Trust (Energy Saving Trust), if household appliances in standby mode are completely turned off, a British family can save an average of about 55 pounds (470 yuan) in electricity bills a year. A spokesman for the Energy Saving Trust Fund said: "people can rest assured that turning off the switches of most household appliances will not affect their normal function."

A 2012 study showed that home entertainment systems, video recorders and printers in standby mode consume the most power. In 2017, based on the results of a 2014 study by the Energy Saving Trust, researchers found that electrical devices in standby mode accounted for about 9% to 16% of total household electricity consumption.

However, because the standby mode of household appliances has also become more energy-efficient in recent years, it is unreasonable to estimate the additional expenditure caused by the standby mode of electrical appliances through the results of previous studies.

Sara Walker, an energy expert at Newcastle University in the UK, said: "in recent years, in order to reduce the standby power consumption of electrical equipment as much as possible, the European Union has stipulated the standby energy consumption of electronic equipment." As a result, most of the new appliances consume less energy than the old ones. However, Walker points out that the number of appliances we have is increasing, as well as the number of appliances that support the Internet. " Although the energy consumption of individual electrical equipment has become lower, but because we now use electrical equipment in our daily life for longer, and in our home, there are more electrical devices than before, so overall, the power consumption is still about the same as before. In other words, although a single appliance is more energy-efficient now, if there are 10 to 15 household appliances at home, it will consume a lot of electricity for the whole year. " Walker said.

As a result, Walker suggests that when not using electrical equipment, you can unplug to save some electricity bills. "obviously, this is a great way to save money with no extra cost, and it is very suitable for those who are in urgent need of lower expenses." However, Walker added that electronics manufacturers should also try their best to provide convenience to consumers. For example, the manufacturer should ensure that the appliance works properly without having to reset it when it is completely turned off and back on. Merson says smart meters can also help people better understand how much they spend on electricity.

At present, there are some low-cost smart plugs and smart home products on the market. With these products, you can turn off the electrical equipment at home at any time through your mobile phone.

However, in the UK, most people's natural gas consumption accounts for a larger proportion of overall energy consumption than electricity. Walker says small actions can reduce natural gas consumption.

For example, using a shower instead of a bath can reduce the use of hot water; closing the curtains, putting a windshield on the door and wearing warm clothes can reduce the use of the indoor heating system; if economic conditions permit, adding insulation to the walls of the house is definitely a good way to reduce heat loss.

Today, our household electricity consumption also has a lot to do with social networks and our favorite way of leisure. We spend most of our electricity on the Internet, streaming, TV or cooking. Walker said: "although how to carry out leisure and entertainment activities is a personal choice, but in order to do these things, sometimes we have to pay unexpectedly high electricity bills." this is the power of the market, and there is nothing the individual can do about it. "

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