Working From Home Can Increase Energy Bill

BALTIMORE (WJZ) - More than six million Americans work from home, which saves energy and time by cutting out the commute, but it may increase your home energy bill.

Mary Bubala reports people who work from home should plug all their printers, computers, fax machines into a smart strip. It automatically turns off the power when not in use for more than an hour.

An Energy Star labeled computer uses 70 percent less electricity. If left inactive, Energy Star desktop computers enter a sleep mode that saves energy.

There's a common misconception that screen savers reduce energy -- they don't. It's much better to manually turn off monitors or switch to that automatic sleep mode.