Save energy by reducing phantom loads

Have you ever gotten up at night to get a glass of water and noticed a lot of little red lights shining around your living room? Devices that produce these lights are constantly drawing energy – whether they’re on or off.

Posted by Guest Blogger on December 20, 2011

Have you ever gotten up at night to get a glass of water and noticed a lot of little red lights shining around your living room? Devices that produce these lights are constantly drawing energy – whether they’re on or off.

The energy that these appliances draw when they’re in “off” or “standby” modes is what is known as a phantom load. Typical devices that draw phantom loads use about 10 watts when in standby mode, but some devices can use up to 25 watts. This can account for 5-10 percent of your monthly energy use. This may not sound like much, but it can add up over time, possibly costing you as much as $100-200 in just one year. 

Examples of phantom loads include, but are not limited to:

  • Tablet, MP3 and phone chargers – whether these devices are charging or not
  • TVs, VCRs and DVD players
  • Game systems
  • Computers
  • Ovens
  •  Microwaves
  • Coffee makers
  •  Tool or flash light chargers
  • Almost any device that uses a remote and has a small LED status light

There are multiple ways to cut down on phantom load power use throughout your home. The simplest place to start is to unplug these devices when they’re not in use. This may be the best solution for phone and other chargers.

For entertainment systems, power strips are often the best solution as they allow you to turn off the power supply to your set up with one switch. New versions even have timers built in for more convenience, which will automatically shut down or turn on your devices at specified times. Smart strips also usually have an outlet or two that won’t shut off along with the rest of the strip. Use these outlets for your cable or satellite boxes, so your DVR can still record shows while you’re away and be ready for use as soon as you turn the TV on.

For computers, shut the device down completely if you plan to not use it for two or more hours. Sleep modes use less energy than leaving the device on, but you’ll find greater savings if you completely power it down.

If you are unsure which devices are drawing the most power, rent a kWh meter from Wright-Hennepin to find out which appliances are drawing larger phantom loads.

Additionally, when shopping for new devices, look for the ENERGY STAR rating. These devices will draw less power when off or in standby mode.

By taking an aggressive approach, you’ll be able to eliminate some of these causes. However, for your convenience, you’ll probably choose not to go after all of these causes. No one wants to reset their microwave clock every evening or miss their favorite show because their cable box was shut off, and their DVR didn’t record.

But at the very least, this may help you understand a little more of what makes up your monthly electric bill.


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