Free Electricity Can Break the Climate Deadlock
Put the timer on.
Photo: Annette Riedl/picture alliance/Getty Images
It often comes as a surprise to find the little hacks strewn through the consumer universe that could make our lives easier, if only we noticed them: The unobtrusive light on your car dashboard pointing out which side the fuel tank is on, the handy tabs that help you unspool kitchen wrap from the box, the way Chinese takeout boxes can be unfolded into plates.
It’s the same with the timers you’re ignoring on almost every appliance in your house. Most electricity-hungry household devices — from water heaters, to air conditioners, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, plug-in cars, robot vacuums and swimming-pool cleaners — come with one built-in, so you can choose when to run or charge them. Far too few of us are using them.