Energy Efficiency: Avoid Standby Energy Waste

Do you know anything about standby power? Have you ever heard of phantom power or vampire electronics? If not, it is safe to say that your home is not as energy efficient as it could be. Luckily, once you know more about standby power, also known as phantom power or vampire power, you should be able to avoid future problems.

So what is the big deal with standby power? This refers to the power that is consumed by appliances when they are turned off. In other words, just because an appliance is turned off does not mean that it is not using energy.

The energy or power that is wasted by one appliance in your home is not a lot. But when you add up several appliances it is safe to say that the total loss begins to add up. In addition to large appliances you should realize that phantom power can also have an effect on small appliances, security systems, etc.

Generally speaking, standby power accounts for roughly 10 watts per device in use. Do you want to know exactly how much energy is being used by appliances in your home that rely on standby power? If so, a watt meter can answer all of your questions. Of course, most people are not going to move to these extremes. Instead, they will probably be more interested in a general idea of which appliances are affecting them and how to stop this.

Some of the most common devices that consume standby power include: computers, printers, microwaves, televisions, air conditioners that use a remote control, portable heaters, and many of the most popular video game systems.

To become more energy efficient and reduce standby consumption there are a few simple moves you can make. To start, you should unplug any devices that are not being used. To make this easy on you, plug several similar items, such as a computer and printer, into a surge protector. This way you can cut off all power with the flip of a switch.

If you are trying to make your home as energy efficient as possible you should realize that standby power can add to your total usage. To fix this problem determine which items are using power, and then take the proper steps to cutting back on this.