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BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters plug our cable boxes into powerstrips that we turn off when not watching TV, we'll save about $300,000 per year.
COCKTAIL FACT
Minnie Driver, who starred in the 2004 adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera, was reportedly upset when Beyonce was chosen to sing Minnie's song from the film at the Oscars.
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home › tip library › Eco-Electronics - Phantom Loads and Energy-Saving Powerstrips
What's lurking in your house after you turn off all the lights?
The Bite
A "phantom load" is the energy that's sapped by appliances when they're plugged in, but not on. Use power strips or manually unplug DVD players, computers and cell phone chargers to save electricity from disappearing without a trace.The Benefits
- Save big on your energy bills. In the average home, 40% of all electricity is used to power home appliances while they're turned off.
- Lower emissions. If all phantom loads in US homes were stopped, we could shut down 17 power plants.
- Power strips with surge protectors make it easy to "unplug" many appliances at once.
Personally Speaking
NY Biter Cecily Channell uses a power strip that's hooked up to her entertainment system to turn the cable and TV on and off. At first, her roommates complained because it takes a little longer for the cable box to warm up ("They want their HGTV right now!"), but the electric bill savings they saw after a few months convinced 'em.Wanna Try?
- Isole Plug Load Control - the crème de la crème of powerstrips, it has 8 outlets and an insurance policy ($90).
- Belkin 9-Outlet SurgeMaster - with 9 outlets ($30).
- Intermatic Appliance Timer- use a timer when you're outta town ($21).
- Craftsman Auto Switch - baby-sized surge protector option ($20).
- Kill-A-Watt - find out how much energy various appliances are using ($29).
- Just a word of advice: don't do this with your fridge...
Oct 11,2006
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All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
It’s Amazing How (um, er) Rewarding a Powerstrip Can Be
Biter Comments...
a great illustration of these phantom power loads...from wired's nextfest (a power strip whose cord glows blue at different intensities depending on how much power it's drawing):
http://www.tii.se/static/poweraware.htm
Some houses have switched outlets intended for use with lamps, etc. I use these for items that sap electricity when not in use. Sometimes it's easier to hit a wall switch than to find the power strip on your way to sleep.
A few items I've unplugged to stop the drain include any kitchen items with clocks that I don't use daily (including the microwave) and our computers. It saves a noticeable amount on our electric bill!
Great tip, as always, and thank you for what you do. My comment today is on your cocktail factoid re Minnie Driver's reaction to who was chosen to sing her song @ oscars.
I feel it was unnecessarily snarky and not your usual sort of information. Maybe I don't read enough of your factoids and I'm all wrong. But if you're going to put stuff like that in, I think you need to balance it with something kind about the person. Perhaps Ms. Driver was disappointed that she hersef wasn't chosen to sing her song. You left it looking like she has something against the other singer. It's not like you to stir up this kind of trouble.
I just had to get that off my chest.
Colleen-
Thanks for the feedback. Sorry it came off as too snarky - we actually debated internally during edits about whether to include the factoid. Maybe we should have noted that while Minnie is a member of Go Carbon Zero ( http://www.gocarbonzero.org/ ), there's no comment on climate change from Beyonce, as far as we know...
But here is my problem - if I remove power to my TV I lose all my channels (yes, I live in the dark ages - no cable) and the TV goes through a long setup process every time it is turned on. Not to mention I lose my VCR settings (again, dark ages, I actually tape TV, no tivo) which again are very time-consuming to reset (especially when you're running out the door and oops! you forgot to set the VCR for Lost!)
But I like the idea of the smart strip - perhaps one of those would work so the DVD player could be powered off at least. What about the powersave function on computers? Mine seems to shut itself all the way down when I haven't used it for an hour - is that still sucking electric?
I am a product designer and I can't ever seem to convince the Electrical Engineers I work with that there should be an AC adapter smart enough to know when it's not being used and stop drawing power. (AC adapters are always wasting small amounts of power when you don't have your cell phone etc. plugged in, and generate heat) Does anyone out there know
a)how much power is actually wasted, and
b) is there a simple technology/product out there already that can remain plugged in without the need to manually plug/switch something?
I would love to incorporate this sort of thing into the next product I work on that requires one of those "wall warts."
This is a great tip. I knew this, but I forget, and your tip was an excellent reminder. I do use several powerstrips in the house and now maybe I'll remember to switch them off.
Hi! This sounds like a great tip, but I am wondering if you have any sources to back up the 40% number (that 40% of electrical costs are caused by "phantom loads"). I don't doubt your claims, but I am wondering where I can find more information about this.
You know...it baffles me that any one would leave an A.C. adapter plugged in when it's not doing its job. Yes, perhaps something like an electric keyboard that someone might want to use at any time...but relaly...
I plug in my cell phone when it needs charging, and when I'm done, the phone goesback into my purse (or wherever I happen to want it) and the charger gets unplugged and goes back into a drawer.
Letitia-
The stat came from Energy Star's website at
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=find_a_product.showProductCategory&pcw_code=HEF
The organization has lots of great facts and tips for lowering home energy use. Check it out.
I had the same question as Letitia, and I was glad to see it answered. Sources are important, especially when it comes to statistics. The more we learn, the more we can do. Knowledge is power, after all!
here is a power strip (surge protector) that saves energy and turns
off automatically!
available here at REAL GOODS
item number 13-0062
http://www.gaiam.com/retail/product/13-0062
this (I think) is better than the ones you listed in your tip.
regards,
Aurora Fox
"To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is
our only legitimate hope of survival."
---Wendell Berry
Great job all.
Another option I have been working on is using a security system/home automation system to shut down certain outlets when away or asleep. It's not a particularly original idea, I don't think. I'm working with a guy building a house that has a security system w/ x10 interface to shut down certain outlets in his office and A/V room when he leaves during the day. The outlets have one switched plug in and one always on (for things that need power for programming). I don't have a security system, so he's my guinea pig for now...
Thanks for this great tip, but what needs unplugging and what doesn't? Lamps? toaster?
Just stuff with a remote or a clock?
i'm wondering- would it work to just flip the breaker to certain rooms before you leave the house? if there are some rooms that definitely don't need power and are on a separate breaker (ie bathrooms, stove separate from refrig, bedroom w/o alarm clock..), can you just flip the whole thing off at the box and prevent power drain that way?
i mentioned this to one friend, who said there may be more of a drain "refilling the capacitors" when you turn the breaker back on, but i'm not sure how to check if this is true or not...? ideas? thx
Is it safer or necessary to shut off TV, cable box and then the power strip? Right now, I shut these off and then the power strip.
Same question about turning off breakers my are not marked quite accurately.
Thanks
You misquoted your source, unless they have changed their page since your post. They say "...40% of all electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off," while you say "...40% of all electricity is used to power home appliances while they're turned off."
This is a huge difference in most cases. Heating, A/C, refrigerator, hot water, lights, etc. are not considered electronics and use a majority of home energy. Where I live my monthly bill is nearly $100 in winter but under $15 in summer, whether or not I keep my computer plugged in at night.
I still think it is a good idea to unplug some of the significant power-drains, but the energy savings probably won't be anywhere near 40% for anybody. To see how much energy something is using (whether on or off), you can use a product such as the "Kill-a-watt," which costs about $25.
I live in the part of the country rampant with Thunderstorms and various other electrical surges. Everything I own is on a powerstrip that provides surge protection. Doesn't turning off the powerstrip turn off the surge protection?
I like the idea, just not at the cost of losing all of my equipment. I do like the smart powerstrip mentioned above, but to replace my whole house full - ouch. Bit by bit I guess.
I just keep seeing all these tips about using powerstrips, but nobody mentions the surge suppression/protection part of them.
I need some clarification - sorry to ask a dumb question - Do I need to unplug my power strip, or just switch the button to the "off" position?
For those of us who work in the digital industry, I use a power strip on top of my desk, I plug in my monitor, charger, printer and light. When I leave for the day, I take my laptop with me and turn off power strip to reduce the phantom load. Where I work we have over 1000 employees that cost somwhere around ~$5K in phantom load a month... Use your power strips they can make a difference!
There was a system that was on the show 'Ed'. He installed some simple application into his main light switch and with a few adjustments was able to set all the switches he wanted to control, wirelessly. I don't have the details but if you go to the TV station site you can review one of the earlier episodes. Happy Savings
i think beyonce did her part. But with her dereon com, i think her reputation with the fur coat is very bad.
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Earthsaver | October 11, 2006 at 07:37 AM