Your charger is sucking up electricity!

Think about how many electronic devices you own. A cell phone? Sure. Laptop? You bet. Tablet, perhaps? How about that music playing device? All of these electronic devices have one thing in common - a battery charger. 

You would never think that charger could utilize a lot of energy, but when you're dealing with four, five, or even six different battery chargers, it adds up. 

In fact, roughly two-thirds of the energy used by mobile devices goes wasted. "It may seem like it's a very small thing when you think of an individual charger, but given the number of chargers that are out there it has the potential of large energy savings," claims Susan Smith, a communications manager at Nokia.

The California Energy Commission in the United States voted to adopt minimum energy efficiency standards for these devices. California alone boasts 170 million chargers, excluding San Diego (which wasn't included in the census). The new energy efficient chargers will save Californians an estimated $300 million a year in electricity costs.

To raise awareness, companies like Nokia, LG, Samsung, and Motorola have developed a new ratings system to show consumers exactly how much electricity chargers use during "standby mode." Five stars designate chargers using 0.03 watts or less. Chargers that consume over than 0.5 watts get a big, fat zero.

Says Smith: "The first thing is to make people aware that there are these issues around chargers, and that there are certain ones that are more energy efficient."

The ratings are based on the European Commission's energy standards for chargers and the internationally recognized Energy Star standards established by the U.S.'s Environmental Protection Agency.

In the near future, you an expect to see more announcements concerning developments in eco-friendly mobile technology. From recycled cell phones to more efficient laptop batteries, solar powered tablets to carbon-free electricity, the sky is the limit when no idea is left unturned.  

That's why NRGLab has thought long and hard about the future, and we feel strongly about some of the ideas we've come up with. For more information on any number of our current energy projects, visit nrglab.asia.

Because change is good! Working towards becoming a better person, a better company, a better planet - now that's change we can believe in. 

Are you a wasteful water bug?

Sure, 70% of our planet’s surface is covered by water, but 97% of that is salt water, and of the 3% leftover, only 1% is drinkable. The rest is frozen in the ice caps. Still feel comfortable about keeping the faucet running while brushing your teeth?

Although you’re probably inadvertently wasting water each and every day, a few simple fixes can yield big results. By installing low-flow fixtures, you could potentially save 40,000 gallons of water a year. Fixtures are available for showers, washing machines, toilets, bathroom and kitchen sinks. If consumers installed low-flow fixtures in their homes, in only one year, we could save a combined $4 billion! Oh – not to mention 2 TRILLION gallons of water!

Devil’s advocates will argue, “Isn’t water a renewable resource?” Well, it would be if we weren’t consuming it faster than it could ever possibly be replenished.

Let’s start in the laundry room. Two loads a week with an energy-efficient washing machine saves 2,000 gallons of water a year, trimming 5% from your water bill. That’s money you could definitely be spending elsewhere.

In the bathroom, installing a low-flow showerhead and limiting yourself to 15-minute showers every other day saves 12,000 gallons of water a year. That’s another 12% off your bill.

Next, the toilet – upgrading to a low-flow model saves a whopping 18% on your water bill. If you upgrade the faucet too and only run it for 4 minutes a day or less, you can reduce your consumption by 25,000 gallons.

When you add it all up, your household could be saving almost 40,000 gallons of water a year! That’s “leading by example.”

So the next time you think about letting the shower “warm up” for five-minutes before hopping in, the next time you ignore that leaky faucet, think about something you’d really like to buy instead.

Take the initiative. Support a better future by not being a wasteful water bug!

NRGLab is helping you save on another utility bill. For more information on how you can drastically reduce your electricity consumption, visit nrglab.asia.