Bob Vautour
Pillar To Post
November 2012
Anchorage Real Estate Newsletter
SAVING ENERGY: WATCH
OUT FOR PHANTOM LOADS
Phantom loads – you may not have heard of them, but they’re
almost certainly lurking in your home. Also known as vampire loads or the
vampire effect, phantom loads occur when electronic devices continue to draw
power even when they are turned off, but still plugged in. Televisions,
computers, game consoles, routers, printers, 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 6% to 10% of residential electricity consumption in the
U.S. Even more amazing: 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 and is easily avoidable.
Power up – and down –
with power strips. Plugging devices into a power strip lets you to turn off
the power to all of them with one switch. However, because turning off all
connected devices may not always be desirable, consider using “smart” power
strips. Much more practical than unplugging each device that’s not being used,
a smart power strip senses when a printer or TV, for example, has gone into
standby mode and will then cut the power to that device completely. Some smart
power strips have one or more always-on outlets, which are perfect for your
cordless phone base or other items that you need to keep powered up at all
times. Using 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 your cell phone, Bluetooth device, tablet, or smart phone. Though the
amount of energy they use in this state is small, you’re still paying for it on
every utility bill.
Think Energy Star.
For appliances that need to be plugged in at all times or that would be
impractical to turn off, such as refrigerators, freezers, or washing machines,
Energy Star approved models will help reduce overall energy consumption in your
home.
Limiting phantom loads in your home saves energy resources
and can help extend the life of your devices – and will leave you with more
money in your wallet at the end of the month.
Article courtesy of Pillar To Post
Pillartopost.com
