While you may not have heard of “phantom loads,” they’re almost certainly lurking in every home. Also known as “vampire loads,” phantom loads occur when electronic devices continue to draw power even when they’re turned off, but still plugged in. Televisions, cable boxes, computers, game consoles, routers, printers, microwaves and rechargeable power tools are common culprits. Even though they may be turned off, their systems stay in standby mode—using power unnecessarily and wasting money.
By some estimates, phantom loads comprise up to 10% of residential electricity consumption in the U.S. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, household electronics in the average home consume 75% of their power while they are turned off. That’s a lot of waste, but it is easily avoidable.
- Power up—and down—with power strips. Plugging devices into a power strip allows homeowners to turn off the power to all of them with one switch. However, because turning off all connected devices may not always be practical, consider using a “smart” power strip, which senses when a monitor or TV, for example, has gone into standby mode and then cuts the power to that device completely. Some smart power strips have one or more always-on outlets, which are perfect for a cordless phone base or other items that need power at all times. Using smart power strips is the most convenient way to minimize phantom loads almost anywhere in the house.
- Unplug those chargers. Plug-in chargers continue to draw power even when they are not working to charge a device. Though the amount of energy they use in this state is small, it will still show up on every utility bill.
- Think Energy Star. For appliances that need to stay plugged in at all times or that would be impractical to turn off, such as refrigerators, freezers, microwaves, washers and dryers, Energy Star-approved models will help reduce overall energy consumption in the home.
Limiting phantom loads saves energy resources and can help extend the life of electronic devices—and will leave homeowners with more money in their wallets at the end of the month.
This article was provided by Pillar To Post Home Inspectors. For more information, go to pillartopost.com.
