Drive a Stake Through Vampire Power

Phantom load, also called standby or vampire power, refers to the electric power consumed by electronic appliances while they are switched off or in a standby mode. You may turn off your gadgets and appliances when you're not using them but many electronics don't actually go all the way off -- they continue using "standby power." Some examples of features that require standby power are:

internal clocks and sensors;
external clock displays and panel display LEDs;
remote control sensors;
battery rechargers and power-conversion packs;
communications between a base unit and a portable unit (as in a portable phone).

A very common "electricity vampire" is a power adapter which has no power-off switch. Some such devices offer remote controls and digital clock features to the user, while other devices, such as power adapters for laptop computers and other electronic devices, consume power without offering any features.

For an eye-opening look at how much vampire power you may be using, turn off the lights. At night, how many small indicator lights can you see in your livingroom and kitchen? Each light represents a device that is drawing power, even though it may not be in use. Although the power needed for functions like displays, indicators, and remote control functions is relatively small, the fact that the devices are continuously plugged in, and the number of such devices in the average household means that the energy usage can reach up to 22 percent of all appliance consumption, and around 10 percent of total residential consumption.

How Can I Help?

Unplug all devices when not in use.
Alternatively, plug your devices into a power strip and turn the strip off when you go to sleep.
Buy Energy Star® appliances to reduce your phantom load for devices that would be impractical to turn off.
Tell others about this phenomenon known as phantom load. Chances are, they've never heard of it either!
Watch out for the cube shaped transformers that plug into the wall. They are 60-80% inefficient when plugged in, so it is especially important that these are on power strips.
Lead by example. If you start turning off your devices, maybe your roommates or family will too.

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