How to put a dent in a 12% electric rate increase

Utilities are grappling with rising fuel and construction costs. One utility just filed for a 12% rate hike, or about $9/month for the typical customer.

So what can we do? Well, how about unplugging standby devices? Any device that consumes a few watts running 24x7 will add up over the course of a month.

I write this as I watch my VCR blink 12:00 . . . 12:00 . . .12:00. I don't think that VCR has been used since my husband got a hold of it on my last very long business trip. So I'll unplug it.

. . .

. . .

Ok, unplugged. That was a bit of a dusty ordeal, but hypocrisy averted.

So how much will I save? That's 5 Watts x 720 hrs/month *10 cents/kWh = 36 cents/month.

Not quite $9, but it's a start.

(By the way, I verified the VCR wattage using my $29 "Kill-a-Watt" meter that most likely traveled across the ocean on a diesel freighter from China.)