Lesson Fifty-Six: Phantom Power
Want to know what’s REALLY spooky this Hallowe’en?? The fact that a lot of your devices and appliances continue to draw power even when they’re off!
If you haven’t heard about phantom power (aka standby power or phantom energy), then you’re in luck because we’re covering it this week by answering the following questions:
What is phantom power?
Why is it bad?
How do we fight it?
WHAT IS PHANTOM POWER?
As mentioned above, the term phantom power (or “standby” power) relates to devices and appliances that continue to draw power even when they are turned off.
If a device uses a remote control or has an LED display, digital screen or a battery charger, there is a good chance that it is draining energy when in the ‘off’ position.
Here are some popular home devices that proportionately use up a significant amount of phantom power:
WHY IS PHANTOM POWER BAD?
FINANCIALLY
According to Hydro One, the average Canadian home has 25 or more electronic devices that use phantom power, costing approximately $150 a year in electricity.
ENVIRONMENTALLY
Producing power uses a lot of resources - everything from making the equipment to transmitting the electricity. Allowing devices to use power unnecessarily wastes the resources that went into producing it.
HOW CAN YOU COMBAT PHANTOM POWER?
Here are 4 easy things you can do to fight the phantoms:
Unplug appliances/ devices/ chargers after you are done with them.
Use timers for your power bars (some come with built-in timers).
Group appliances and electronics into one power bar.
When purchasing home electronics, look for products certified with the ENERGY STAR® label.
Finally, a couple final things I learned:
Chargers: You should unplug devices once they are done charging as up to 50% of the electricity they draw is lost as heat.
Screen Savers: You should also disable screen savers as they can use up to twice as much energy.(activate sleep mode instead).
Hope you enjoyed the lesson! If you had any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
