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With “Black Friday” kicking off the holiday shopping season this week, many people will be buying electronics such as television set-top boxes, gaming systems, tablet computers, E-readers, MP3 players, smart phones, 3-D televisions and more. When purchasing an electronic gift, it’s not all about the price you pay at the store. There’s also the cost of powering and charging the gift to consider, which can add up fast if you’re not careful.

By keeping energy efficiency in mind when shopping, your friend or family member will appreciate you not only during the holidays but all year round!

Many of the hot electronic gifts for 2011 consume lots of electricity over time when they’re operating in low-power modes, but not actually in use. For example, television set-top boxes that transform cable or internet streaming signals can be huge energy wasters when left on 24/7.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (PDF), “more than 80 percent of U.S. homes subscribe to some form of pay television service.” NRDC says about two-thirds of the electricity consumed by these set-top boxes occurs when they are not in use, and that the average new cable high-definition DVR “consumes more than half the energy of an average new refrigerator and more than an average new flat-panel television.”

So what’s a savvy shopper and caring gift-giver to do? There’s a way to enjoy all your new devices and still save money. Add a “smart plug strip” to your shopping list. These look a bit like the old surge protectors, but they can power down designated devices whenever those devices are not in use. Smart plug strips have several designs, but typically use occupancy sensors, load sensors, remote controls, timers or USB interfaces. This could become just as important as a package of batteries on Christmas morning, don’t you think?

In addition to smart plug strips, look for devices with the ENERGY STAR® label. (If you’re in Idaho, also look for the orange Energy Forward label to find the most efficient TVs available.) Rocky Mountain Power customers also can save money by taking advantage of the many wattsmart energy efficiency programs we offer.

Wishing you and your family a safe and wattsmart holiday season!
 

Photo credit: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=2125