I like to wrap myself in a blanket when I work from home. You could say I now work undercover.

Nowadays, many people work from home rather than commute to the office, which increases your home energy usage. Consider smart plugs and power strips to control power usage and prevent “phantom load”. Smart plugs can level up your home office setup when it comes to energy efficiency.

Many new phones and tablets optimize charging to regulate their power usage, but they can still use phantom load. Your phone and tablet only require a few hours to charge, so unplug your charger when the battery is full to curb some energy waste.

Charge wireless devices sparingly and rely on battery power when you can. A desktop computer uses more energy overall than a laptop, and it also wastes energy if left in Sleep Mode overnight. Laptops consume 80% less electricity than a desktop computer. Laptops consume 20-50 watts of electricity which can be decreased if you use power saver mode. Desktop computers use 60-200 watts of electricity. Desktops also need a permanent power supply that continuously consumes electricity regardless if it’s in sleep mode or standby mode.