Cut 10% - 25% Off of Your Electric Bill by Phantom Load Management

Take a look around any modern household, and you'll find numerous phantoms, vampires, and parasites stealing electricity from you all day, every day with your permission. They add an average of $200 or more to your annual energy bill, according to Cornell University. Anything that has a digital clock, a remote control, rechargeable batteries and anything that has an "instant on" feature is the culprit. In fact, your TV may use more electricity in the "off" position than it does while you are watching it. This is because "off" really doesn't mean "off", it means "standby". This is a fact of modern electronics, starting in the early 1970's with the introduction of the instant on / remote control TV. Things became much worse when the home computer was introduced. Now you had a machine that is always using power, whether it is in use or not. Add to that a printer, and a DSL or Cable Modem, and any other number of available accessories and you have a machine that could be sitting there sucking 100 Watts of power 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This has become a worldwide issue. Some studies have suggested that the total phantom load caused by the United States alone would provide enough power to handle the electric needs of Vietnam, Peru, and Greece.

Hunting Phantom Loads

The easiest way I know of the look for Phantom Loads is to turn off all of the lights and wander around your house in the dark. Every light you see is using power. How many digital clocks do you see? How many do you NEED? Make a list of all appliances and devices that are using power while not in active use. Here are some places to look:

Appliance Average Watts

Each Instant-on TV 28 watts

Each VCR 14 watts

Microwave Oven w/clock 8 watts

Each Wall Cube Power Supply 8 watts

Stereo w/ remote control 8 watts

Electronic Ignition Stove 14 watts

Coffee Pot w/ hot water reservoir (Bunn) 20 watts

Laser Printer 15 watts

Cordless Phone 4 watts

Cable TV Box 15 watts

Electric Hot Water Heater 100 watts

Laptop Computer 12 watts

Desktop Computer 5 watts

After you have identified all of the sources of phantom power, the real fun begins. Invest in a Kill-a-Watt Meter. They are about $25 to $50 and will be one of the best investments you make. It could easily pay for itself within the first month of usage. Go around to all of the appliances and devices that you identified as Phantom Loads and take a measurement of how much power that each is using. The meter will give you a good ballpark figure as to how much each device costs you while in standby mode.

Kill the Phantom

Now is where the savings can begin. Now keep in mind that you'll have to spend some money to save some money, but the savings will continue far into the future. There are devices on the market right now that can help you to manage these phantom loads and reduce your electric bill. Timers that plug into electric outlets can be bought for $6 to $10. These can be used to control coffee pots, computers and other appliances and devices so that power is only available when needed. Power strips can be used to turn off cable boxes, VCRs, TVs and DVDs all at once. There are also "smart" power strips that allow more options.

Further Options

In addition to hunting down and killing (or at least managing) Phantom Loads, there are other products on the horizon that can significantly reduce the amount of electricity consumed by the average home. We have all heard that we should replace incandescent lighting with Compact Fluorescent Bulbs. While this strategy can and will reduce electrical consumption, I believe that Compact Fluorescents are only a bridge to something better. It is estimated that within 10 years, LED lighting will be the way we light our homes. While still in development for this use, LEDs, or Light Emitting Diodes, have been around for years. This technology is just now coming into it's own as a source of lighting for homes. These bulbs last for many years, and use a fraction of the power used by even a Compact Florescent, and incandescent bulbs are no comparison. In fact, incandescent bulbs are quickly going the way of the 8 track tape. Within 5 years, you will be hard pressed to even purchase one, since they are being quietly phased out.

Summary

So the power to reduce you electric bill is in your hands. Do some research, buy a Kill-a-Watt meter, some power strips and you are on your way to saving some money. The investment in the meter and power strips will pay for itself quickly, and you are doing your part to reduce the need for foreign oil and for more power plants to be built in the future.

http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/definitions/Phantom-Load

http://www.homepower.com/article/?file=HP120_pg18_Mailbox_3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standby_power

http://www.homeenergy.org/