With modern washing machines and detergents, washing your clothes in cold water gets them just as clean as washing in hot water but saves a lot of energy. With really tough loads, you can still make a difference by washing in warm but rinsing in cold. Not only an energy saver but washing clothes in cold water allows fabrics to retain their color and strength longer.

According to various sources on the internet, switching to cold water washing  could amount to a savings between $52 and $145 each year in water heating costs.

“Since 86 percent of the energy consumed by a washing machine goes to heating the water, one household can eliminate 1,600 pounds of annual carbon dioxide emissions by washing in cold.” (Sierra Club Magazine)

Phantom Load

“Standby power, also called vampire power, phantom load, or leaking electricity, refers to the electric power consumed by electronic appliances while they are switched off or in a standby mode. A very common “electricity vampire” is a power adapter which has no power-off switch. Some such devices offer remote controls and digital clock features to the user, while other devices, such as power adapters for laptop computers and other electronic devices, consume power without offering any features.” from Wikipedia

Devices and functions that can consume standby power:

• Power supplies, transformers and inefficient electronic devices.
• VCRs, DVD players and some audio systems.
• TVs
• Microwave ovens
• Computers, digital monitors and printers
• Air conditioning systems with remote control.
• Devices with “Instant on” functions, with remote control receivers, or waiting for the user to interact.
• Devices with a stand-by light or clock.
• Power adapters and chargers such as for iPods, cell phones, and cameras, whether they are powering a device or not.
• Some home video game consoles (e.g. Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360 & Sony PlayStation 3)

From the US department of Energy:

“Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off. These “phantom” loads occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. This can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance.”

“Alan Meier, a staff scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) in Berkeley, noted that many household appliances are never fully switched off, but spend most of the time in a standby mode. His 1998 study estimated that standby power consumption accounted for approximately 5% of total residential electricity consumption in America, “adding up to more than $3 billion in annual energy costs”. According to America’s Department of Energy, national residential electricity consumption in 2004 was 1.29 billion megawatt hours (MWh)-5% of which is 64m MWh. The wasted energy, in other words, is equivalent to the output of 18 typical power stations. His 2000 study showed that standby power accounted for around 10% of household power-consumption.”

Unplug and reduce your electrical consumption.