I’ve read about phantom loads – how they waste energy and increase your electric bill. How much of a difference will it really make if I cut out some of the phantom loads at home?
Phantom loads waste electricity by allowing electronic devices to consume power in “dormant” or standby mode. This unnecessary electricity use accounts for 5% – 10% of total U.S. residential energy consumption every year. Eliminating these loads would enable us to shut down 17 power plants. On a more personal level, just by REALLY turning off your flat screen TV, cable box and speakers, you could save over $100 every year. This is easy to do if you plug these related devices into a single “smart” power strip and turn the power strip off when you’re not watching TV. Other related devices to control (and turn off) using a power strip include cell phone and tablet chargers, computers, printers and scanners.
