🛠 AC isn't the only energy villain—what's stealing while you sleep?

Karibu, my friends!
Mzee Fundi here.
Tonight, we repair
a leaking wallet.

My
electricity bill has
summoned the
entire superhero
team.

AC is  not the
only suspect.
Some devices work
overnight.
Others sip power
even when “off.”

But necessary power
is not theft! Let’s find
avoidable waste.
Your appliances,
habits, and tariff
decide the bill.

Heating and cooling
can be major loads—
especially when electric.
Seal drafts and use
thermostat settings
suited to your system.

I command
thunder.
Apparently,
I also heat the
street through
this window
gap.

46%–54%

Electric hot water
costs money too.
Shorter showers
and low-flow
showerheads
reduce hot-
water use.

Captain Mzee heats
water by hand!
My real superpower?
Not taking a forty-
minute shower.

15%–19%

Your fridge works
while you sleep.
Keep the door
closed, check seals,
and leave its vents
clear. Do not unplug
it to save power.

I was frozen
once. The
leftovers do not
need an origin
story.

3%–14%

Air-dry when
practical. Clean
the lint filter
before each
load. Avoid
drying clothes
longer than they
need.

Where is my
movie-style
self-drying
function?
Ah. The
clothesline.

6%

Swap old
incandescent
bulbs for LEDs.
Turn lights off
in empty rooms.

Lightning is
dramatic.
LED lighting
is cheaper
to run. My
thunder has
been made
redundant.

5%–9%

TV off… but the box
may still be busy!
Standby use varies
by model. Check
its energy-saving
settings.

A spy! Quietly
billing me
from under the
television.

3%

Keep power
for recordings or
updates when your
equipment needs it.

Office computer
finished for the
day? Enable
automatic sleep.
A screen saver
is not sleep mode.

AI assistant,
protect my wallet!
First brilliant
recommendation:
let the
computer rest.

300 kWh/year (approx. $40)

Gaming, rendering,
and local AI can
make a GPU-equipped
PC draw much more
than light office work.
That is active load—
not standby.

Example: a whole PC
averaging 500W
for 4 hours daily uses
60 kWh in 30 days.
At $0.30/kWh: $18.

Actual draw and
rates vary. Measure
yours; sleep when
finished. (My AI
needs a bedtime
too.)

Mzee tired of
chasing every
plug! Group
suitable idle
electronics
on a switched
or smart
power strip.

Savings depend on
their standby draw.
Leave fridges,
medical equipment,
and needed network
devices powered.

One switch. Less
thinking. No
smashing. I pay for
repairs.

might save $20–$23 per year

An EV can add a
substantial load.
On a time-of-use
plan, schedule
charging for your
utility’s cheaper
hours— not an
assumed universal
bedtime.

That can lower
cost without
reducing the
 energy used

Does my
spaceship
get an
EV rate?
Wait. I do
not own a
spaceship

Use properly installed, 
safety-certified charging
equipment. Never run EV
charging through a
household power strip.

Follow your
vehicle’s charging
guidance, including
charge limits and
whether to
stay plugged in.

The spaceship
was a toy.
Excellent.
No charging bill.

Tonight’s repair:
less waste, not
less comfort or
safety. Let idle
electronics sleep.
Let essential
equipment work.

Why buy when you can
fix? Sometimes, my friend,
the thing to fix is a habit.

And my costume
laundry bill.