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by MattPalmer1086 1382 days ago
Same as you really. Turned off an extra fridge we could live without. May turn off some other devices over night, but as they're all energy saving they probably won't make much difference.

I did get a massively reduced bill last month though. The only thing I can really ascribe that to is only filling the kettle with minimal water, and getting my son to turn his gaming pc off when he's not using it!
3 comments
dspillett 1382 days ago
> May turn off some other devices over night, but as they're all energy saving they probably won't make much difference.

I've seen some iffy advice for adding smart plugs to everything (in at least one case in an article sponsored by a smart device manufacturer, go figure, though that fact was not exactly clear in the headline or main text). It is one of those things where the maths often doesn't work out: will that media player or microwave on standby really consume significantly more power than the smart-plug with built-in wireless (and the alexa/google/other hub to control it if needed)? And would it not be just as easy to flick the switch yourself given you won't need to use it remotely?

I am adding smart plugs to some things, but for convenience (that “being to lazy to physically go to the switch and press it” factor) more than power saving.

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mupuff1234 1382 days ago
> and getting my son to turn his gaming pc off

Can set a "Hibernate if idle after X minutes" instead.

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MattPalmer1086 1381 days ago
Good idea...
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dougmwne 1382 days ago
I have been seeing this meme about the kettle recently. I ran the numbers and you are talking a few cents per boil even at current energy prices. You’d have to be drinking truly epic amounts of tea to see it affect your electric bill.
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dspillett 1382 days ago
> You’d have to be drinking truly epic amounts of tea to see it affect your electric bill.

That was based on comments from the outgoing UK PM. I don't drink the stuff myself, but “epic amounts of tea” is not an unusual concept amongst many of my friends over here.

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MattPalmer1086 1381 days ago
I do drink epic amounts of tea!

But I'm sure it really isn't responsible for the vast majority of my energy usage. Its the only real change I made though over the last month, so not sure why my usage has dropped...

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