green is universal

Appliance Indicator Lights

Posted at 11:00 AM on November 09, 2007 comments (5)

By Julie Fiedler, Hulu.com

It's the little things... the really, really little things...

We have all heard that little changes can add up to make a big difference. Many do their part and are diligent about recycling, conserving water, and saving electricity. I certainly do what I can. Recently I came across a statistic that showed me one more little (and easy) way to help.

You know indicator lights? Those little green and orange lights that tell you if your appliance is turned on or in standby mode? Approximately 5% of total domestic energy consumption goes toward powering those display lights. Not the appliances in active use, but those little lights themselves.

That's crazy. So, I became a little obsessed with turning off my appliances. I used to turn off my overhead light when I left work. Now I also turn off my monitor because of the little orange standby light. I used to keep my shredder on, but set to inactive mode. Now I turn it off entirely.

These are little things to be sure and most people don't give them a second thought. I know I didn't. So I looked at it from another green perspective. On average, this would save every household $100 a year. OK, it's not huge, but if someone gave me $100, I'd be psyched. So why not give it to myself? Besides, think of all the Styrofoam cups $100 could buy... A LOT!

Joking aside, the little things add up. When you scan a room, start to notice how many of those little lights you see. Then start to turn them off. By taking any steps, however small, going green will not only help the environment, but it can also give you a little green kickback of your own.

Julie Fiedler
http://www.Hulu.com