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Appliances Hog More Energy Than High-Tech Gadgets

Posted by kdawson on from the that's-a-relief dept.

Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "A tech columnist looked around his home and wondered, 'All these TVs and cable boxes and computers and computer gear and chargers for various adapters have to be sucking up a lot of power, right?' So WSJ.com's Jason Fry bought a power meter to find the biggest power hogs in his home. They weren't his newfangled gadgets: 'The heavily used agglomeration of PC / two monitors / printer / hard drive / speakers in my downstairs study costs a bit more than $10 a month. The PC in our bedroom costs about $6 a month. The upstairs laptop? Less than $1 — a bit more than other always-on gadgets such as the router, cable modem, wireless repeater and Airport Express. So what were our apartment's power hogs? The lights and the dryer. I estimate our lights cost us around $30 a month, nearly a third of that from a chandelier with eight bulbs. Then there's the dryer. I don't know exactly how many watts it uses, but estimate it's costing us at least $25 a month.'"

12 of 688 comments (clear)

  1. Dual Use Tech by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 3, Funny

    If he hung his wet laundry on that chandelier's hot bulbs, he could save $25 a month.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

    1. Re:Dual Use Tech by Jarjarthejedi · · Score: 2, Funny

      All he really needs to do is buy a high power laptop, preferably Dell with Sony made batteries, and set that on top of his clothes, they'll be dry faster than they would with the dryer and it would cost less!

      Yet another reason to upgrade, multiple uses! "Hey dude! You're laptop gets hot!" "Yeah, I disabled the fans so I could dry my clothes and cook my food with it, now I only need it, a washer and a dishwasher and I've got everything I need!"

      --
      There are two kinds of fool One says 'This is old therefore good' Another says 'This is new therefore better'- Dean Ing
  2. Wow by kjart · · Score: 4, Funny

    He owns a PC and a hard drive. The Wall Street Journal must be paying rather well, nowadays.

  3. Re:If only... by __aaclcg7560 · · Score: 4, Funny

    You need a wife. As my Daddy used to say, "A wife is an appliance you screw on the bed to get the housework done."

  4. Irrelevance by silentounce · · Score: 5, Funny

    I fail to see this article's relevance to the Slashdot userbase. Being nocturnal, underground dwellers we have no need of light other than the soft glow of our displays and diagnostics. As for the rest of our energy needs, we tap into the power grid of the mysterious beings that dwell above us. They provide us with nourishment and also manage the laundry.

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    There are many tongues to talk, and but few heads to think. -Victor Hugo
  5. I've got this guy beat, big time. by glomph · · Score: 5, Funny

    I live in Bellevue, Washington, a large suburb between Seattle & Redmond (the land of Evil).

    Almost the entire city, plus the environs, has been without power for the past 4
    days.

    Ref:
    http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/20 03482933_stormmainbar18m.html

    Thus we are major leaders in energy savings!

  6. Evidently by Cutting_Crew · · Score: 3, Funny

    he doesnt have a 30" Inch LCD screen as his computer monitor and a dual-core GeForce 7900 GTX with 512 MB RAM and a 7.1 Surround Sound System.

  7. Re:The bottom line by rk · · Score: 2, Funny

    So, if I hand wash the dishes first, I'll save a ton on electricity!

  8. Re:If only... by cayenne8 · · Score: 3, Funny
    "You need a wife. As my Daddy used to say, "A wife is an appliance you screw on the bed to get the housework done.""

    Nah...in the long run, that will prove to be VASTLY more expensive, especially if you ever decide to upgrade to a newer model.

    That's why I just live with them....more like leasing with an option to buy.

    :-)

    --
    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
  9. Re:ok, perhaps not obvious by Lithdren · · Score: 2, Funny

    let's keep this in terms of heat for a second. in case you're wondering what uses more power -- your hair dryer or wireless router, you can do this simple test. put your hand on the hair dryer -- in just a few seconds, it will burn. perhaps a 1st degree burn.

    For Your Information, it was a 2ed degree burn, you insensitive clod. Expect my doctor bill shortly.
  10. Re:If only... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    >Then how come I do all the chores around the house and the wife won't have sex with me?
    Did you try delivering the mail?

  11. Have showers with your clothes on!!! by cheekyboy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Dude, just have a shower with your cloths on, get 100% wet, take them off, and hand wrince them dry.

    Place them on a clothes rack and they will dry indoors in hours.

    1) no washer needed, just uses soap from shower
    2) no dryer needed, all natural
    3) you wash in FIFO order, not 5 days worth at a time.
    4) you save water
    5) its dry by the morning to wear again, so you only need 2 pairs of everything at most

    --
    Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.