Automation has been rising in popularity with new and evolving technologies, and wireless communication can now be found in anything from lamps to washers and dryers. The point of automation is less work for the user, but that's not necessarily true for your energy company; some common uses of automation drain a lot more power than others. Following are a few tips for saving money and energy with the wise use of automation.
Responsible Home Theaters
Home theaters are the most common areas to see energy-sucking automation. Some automation systems keep amplifiers on standby mode, or even worse, on but not producing sound. An amplifier can use up to 35 Watts of power if it stays on without playing music.
On the other hand, great strides have been taken with televisions. TVs with EnergyStar ratings are limited to a standby power of 1 Watt. That's compared to older, tube TVs, which use up to 16 Watts...