Smart energy conservation starts with knowing how much energy you are using, and what for. 

Reduce Wasted Electricity:

Find energy “vampires”, first of all.  They are devices that continue to use energy, even when they are turned off. Devices like phone chargers, computer cords, gaming consoles, DVRs, TVs, and even coffee pots each draw small amounts of power when off, and can together add up to as much as 20-25% of your monthly electricity bill in this ‘standby mode’, according to Sense Energy Monitors. Using smart technologies in addition to being mindful of unplugging unused electronics makes it easier to shave off the ‘standby’ energy.

Unplug electronics that aren’t frequently used. If you have electronics or appliances that are rarely used, make sure they aren’t plugged in and drawing power.  You can plug them in when you need to use them.

Use plugin on/off switches, power strips and surge protectors. These devices keep electronics at the ready, but truly powered off. For multiple devices in the same area like a TV, DVR, and cable box, they can be controlled together with one power strip with the flip of a switch, one remote, or a motion sensor. Smart power strips can leave a device on standby mode but keep the other devices completely off.

Remove chargers from outlets. Unplug the electronics chargers once a device has finished charging. If unplugging is a hassle, a plugin on/off switch can make it more convenient. 

What about appliances that need to stay plugged in? Make sure they’re ENERGY STAR products. When buying new electronic products, look for the ENERGY STAR label, which indicates federal certification of energy efficiency. ENERGY STAR products have been designed to waste less energy in standby mode. 

Wondering if an appliance is still functioning efficiently? Connect it to the Kill A Watt®, and it will count consumption by the Kilowatt-hour, same as your local utility. You can calculate your electrical expenses by the day, week, month, even an entire year. These devices also check the quality of your power by monitoring voltage, line frequency, and power factor. 

Want to monitor all energy electricity usage in your home at all times? Invest in a Sense Home Energy Monitor, which monitors everything that is drawing electricity. It sends the information from your breaker panel to your smartphone, using only a set of sensors installed in the panel. Check out this page for the many ways in which Sense users have been able to catch major power users and failures, fix them, and save energy and money!  

Green Your Electricity Provider:

Harvard has been a leader in green energy for its residents since 2019, when the town signed an agreement with an energy broker to opt residents into a 100% renewable wind electricity supplier.  Residents who were receiving their electricity supply from National Grid standard customer service were switched over to the new supplier.  Residents could opt out of the service, but few have as the cost on a yearly average is less than the standard National Grid supply. Residents who have purchased their supply from other suppliers can opt into the town’s service at any time by following the steps on the town website at Town of Harvard. You can “green” your electricity usage by making the switch if you haven’t already.  

Once you have the town’s supplier, you can ignore those annoying phone calls from companies you’ve never heard of asking you to switch to “green energy”. The town has done the work for you by finding the green energy supplier and getting most residents on the plan. The supplier does change from time to time when the contract is up, but the Town has committed to 100% renewable energy sources.  Check the town website for up to date information at  https://www.harvard-ma.gov/energy-advisory-committee.