I don't want to alarm you, but right now as you read this...there are vampires in your home.
No, I don't mean 400-year old Transylvanian men wearing capes. The vampires I am talking about are much more discreet. You may be sitting right next to one as it sucks power from your home and money from your pocket.
The vampires I'm referring to are the everyday appliances, gadgets, and electronic equipment right in your own home that quietly suck energy even when they're turned off. This phantom energy loss is a result of the standby modes common in modern equipment. Even when turned off, these devices are ready to respond to commands from a remote control. This state of readiness requires power.
Designing devices that are ready to operate or receive signals at all times is convenient, but it's certainly not energy or cost efficient. Phantom energy loss can add hundreds of dollars per year to the average electric bill, not to mention the added strain it causes on the Earth's energy reserves. Limiting phantom energy loss will not only help you save money, it will help sustain the environment too.
Which devices use the most phantom energy?
Basically any device that has a standby mode, a remote control, or a display. Chief culprits include computers, cable boxes, cell phone chargers, and any appliance that has a built in clock. Yes, you're paying for the phantom energy used to power that clock in your microwave or coffee pot.
So what can you do to stop it?
Figure out which devices are causing the most phantom energy loss and unplug them when they're not in use. To save yourself some hassle, plug all of your home entertainment and computer components into a power strip. Just don't forget to flip the switch off when it's not in use.
Written by Mike Collins of MikesMoneyTips.com. To discover how you can locate phantom energy loss in your home and slash your electric bill to pieces, check out my review of the Kill-A-Watt P3 electric usage meter.
Source: www.articlesbase.com
