Save Energy and Money by Taming the Vampires | Phantom Energy
Ten percent of your residential energy use is probably consumed by appliances and electronics that are “off.” Many electronics that are powered by remotes use energy while in standby mode, including televisions and garage door openers; if they were truly turned off, they would not respond to the remote. Appliances such as microwaves that have display clocks also use electricity 24 hours a day to power the clocks.
According to the Energy Star website, standby power is a significant issue in the U.S., costing the average U.S. household $100 per year and costing more than $10 billion per year nationwide.
According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Standby Power web site, products that have remote controls; external power supplies; digital displays, LED status lights, or digital clocks; battery chargers; or soft-touch key-pads use power continuously.
Some of the worst offenders include laptop computer power supplies; televisions, especially rear projection televisions; cable TV, DVR and satellite TV set-top boxes; and audio systems. The Standby Power chart compares the average standby power use of different types of appliances and electronics.
Ways to Save Energy:
- Purchase products that offer low standby power. Few products list their standby power use, but you can look for the Energy Star label.
- Consider standby power when purchasing all new appliances. For example, find an energy-efficient oven without a clock and buy energy-efficient clothes washers, clothes dryers, and dishwashers with old-fashioned knobs.
- Unplug battery chargers when not in use. Cell phone chargers and laptop computer chargers are two of the most common culprits.
- Unplug items that are not used frequently — clocks and TVs in guest rooms; microwaves, coffeemakers, and toaster ovens; audio equipment; and video game consoles
- Use a Smart Strip or power strip to turn off groups of electronics not in use — especially helpful for TVs and DVD players, audio equipment, or computers, printers, and scanners.
[...] in use. They should also turn off computers and electronics that are not in use. Better yet, unplug electronics or use a power strip and turn it [...]
[...] Phantom energy is a tremendous waste of electrical energy in most U.S. homes. Anything with a remote and anything with a digital clock is using energy all the time that it is plugged in. According to the Energy Star website, these appliances cost the average U.S. homeowner $100 per year. TV off? Microwave not in use? It doesn’t matter — these appliances pull from the electrical grid all day long, unless they are unplugged or the power supply is interrupted. Power strips and The Smart Strip can help. Source: “Save Energy and Money by Taming the Vampires | Phantom Energy” [...]