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Pro tip: Ditch the always-on air compressor to save money and emissions
I used to keep my shop's air compressor running all the time for convenience. After seeing the power meter spike, I realized how much energy it wasted. Now I shut it off between jobs, and my electric bill fell by 25%. That means less coal burned at the plant, which is a win for everyone.
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ivan7743mo ago
My old shop had a light bill that could power a small town because I never turned anything off.
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vera1953mo ago
Power a small town" feels like a huge stretch unless you were running a factory floor 24/7. Regular shop lights and machines left on do add up, but to that level? I've seen some high bills, but it's usually from old AC units or industrial equipment, not just forgetting to hit the light switches. The math rarely works out to literal town-level usage. Maybe it just felt that way when the bill came.
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amy_craig283mo ago
Yeah exactly, it's mostly just a saying people use when they get shocked by the bill. I mean, unless you're running some serious old school metal shop equipment 24/7, you're not actually matching a grid. But some of those old compressors and big walk in coolers can suck a crazy amount when they're always on. It just feels like a town's worth of power when you see the number and realize it was all your fault for not checking.
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jamie_webb673mo ago
Man, this is everywhere. My old fridge was like that, just humming along and costing a fortune. It's the same with those little transformer blocks for gadgets that get warm even when nothing's plugged in. You don't notice the drain until you make a change and see the real numbers.
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