Disarming Your Home’s Energy Vampires

If you leave certain devices plugged in all the time, you could be at the mercy of your home’s energy vampires without even knowing it. Energy vampires consume standby power when devices are plugged in but turned off. Some of this standby power consumption is useful, such as with clock displays and timers, but other energy vampires serve no useful purpose at all. Here’s a look at what devices are categorized as energy vampires and how to disarm them.

What devices are energy vampires?

Essentially, any device with a power adaptor or standby light consumes energy while it’s plugged in, even if the device is turned off. This is especially true if the device’s power adaptor feels warm from being plugged in. Examples of energy vampires include:

• Battery chargers for cell phones, mp3 players, power tools and digital cameras
• Game consoles
• Speakers
• DVD players and DVRs
• Televisions
• Computers, printers and monitors
• Modems and routers

Is standby power consumption really something to worry about?

If you’re interested in saving as much energy as possible from day to day, then you should disarm your home’s energy vampires. Standby power in U.S. homes accounts for 100 billion kilowatt hours of electricity every year. The waste is enormous, and by making a few changes in your home, you can save both energy and money.

How can energy vampires be disarmed?

• Choose Energy Star-labeled appliances: These consume less electricity when in standby mode, which is important for DVRs and other devices with clock displays and timers.
• Use a central “turn off” point: Plug all your computer or home theater equipment (except any device with a useful clock display or timer function) into a central surge protector. When you’re done using the computer or entertainment center, flip the switch to easily turn all these items off.
• Unplug chargers: It may be convenient to leave battery chargers plugged in all the time, but you’ll save energy and money by tucking them away when not in use.

To learn more about reducing energy consumption in your Pasadena home, please contact Air-Tro, Inc. Heating & Air Conditioning today.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about energy savings and other HVAC topics, visit our website.

Air-Tro Inc. services the greater Los Angeles area as well as the metro areas of Riverside and San Bernardino County.

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