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Duke Energy tips on saving power

Is A Phantom Load Haunting Your House?

Chances are you have never heard of the term "phantom load," but it may be having an impact on your home energy bill.

Basically, phantom load refers to the electricity consumed by a device when it is turned off but still plugged in. For example, your television continues to consume energy after you have pushed the "off" button on your remote. Features such as remote controls, clocks, timers, memories, microprocessors, and instant-on features are indicators that an appliance will continue to use power even when it has been turned off. Common phantom load culprits include microwaves, computers, TVs and DVD players. A typical home has twenty-five phantom load devices and the number is growing as we buy more and more electronic devices.

On their own, these devices use only a small amount of energy. Millions of these devices are in use, however, and energy losses can quickly add up. The average home uses about 450 kWhs per year on phantom load. Nationally, phantom load accounts for six percent of total energy consumption. This translates into billions of dollars of wasted energy and unnecessary pollution. Obviously, phantom load is a big problem.

How You Can Help
When possible, unplug devices when they are not in use.
As an alternative, plug devices into a power strip and turn the power strip off at night or when the home is unoccupied.
For devices such as a computer, consider a smart strip. These devices can sense when a device is turned off and automatically shut off the power.
If possible, choose an appliance without a built-in clock or timer. These devices can consume up to 200 watts of electricity per day.
For appliances that are impractical to turn off, choose efficient Energy Star® products to help reduce your phantom load.