Unplug That Charger

You know that cell phone charger you keep plugged in downstairs? It could be costing you $30 a year in electricity. Lots of our appliances (especially those with a digital clock) sap electricity just by being plugged in. This phenomenon is call ‘phantom loading‘ and the average household uses 450 pounds of coal a year just to keep VCRs and computers plugged in. The solution? Plug everything into a power strip and turn the strip off when you don’t need it. Or, just take the charger out of the wall. You’ll save money and 720 pounds of carbon dioxide.