Phantom Loads and Energy Saving
Most common household appliances are equipped with an on/off switch. Many people
don't realize, however, that these appliances may still be consuming electricity
even when they are switched off. These so-called "phantom loads" can consume a
significant amount of electricity. If you are interested in reducing your energy
costs, it is important to know about these phantom loads and energy saving.
Devices that create phantom loads can sometimes be recognized because of clocks
or lights that continue to operate after the appliance is turned off. VCRs,
stereo systems, microwave ovens and stoves are often equipped with timers that
run 24 hours a day.
Any device that can be operated with a remote-control is also consuming power
around the clock. It has to stay in a ready or standby state in order to be
switched on by the remote control. The ready state consumes less electricity
than when the device is "on", but over a 24-hour period the energy consumption
can be substantial.
Other phantom loads include DC converters or "wall warts" that are used with
many small appliances like modems, cordless phones, and recharging devices.
You may be saying to yourself that the amount of power that these things use is
insignificant. In actual fact, phantom loads account for 6% of the total amount
of energy used in the United States. This is the equivalent of the power
produced by nine nuclear power plants.
How do you reduce phantom power? The easiest way is to plug these devices into
switchable six way outlets. When you turn off the TV or the stereo, also turn
off the power supply to the outlet. If you think that this is just too much
trouble, just switch them off completely instead. Keeping them in standby modus
24 hrs a day wastes a lot of energy. A television set for example still uses
about 30 watts in standby modus. That is 720 watts a day, more then 5 kW a week,
21 kW a month or 261 kW a year.
Using switchable outlets is especially important for DC converters. These
devices run at 60 to 80% efficiency which means that even when they are being
used, they only provide six cents to eight cents of electricity for every ten
cents that you spend.
If this seems like a lot of trouble, consider the fact that you will be saving
an average of 6% on your electricity bills. If your average annual bill is
$1500, that means you can save $90 a year by eliminating phantom loads. And with
energy prices on the rise that amount is bound to go up.
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