Blog - Green Energy Tip

Phantom Energy Loss Checker (Standby Devices) Device Name Standby Power Usage (Watts) Hours in Standby per Day Electricity Rate ($/kWh) Add Device Export PDF Download CSV Device kWh/Year Annual Cost Action Total Free Phantom Energy Loss Checker Appliances often consume electricity even when switched off - this phenomenon is known as "phantom energy." Understanding how to reduce vampire power usage is vitally important to all homeowners, and even making simple changes such as unplugging devices and using energy optimization tools can have a dramatic effect. Loop assists thousands of customers in understanding their energy consumption and cutting unnecessary costs by decreasing Phantom Load. 1. Unplug the Device There may be devices in your home that still use energy even when they're switched off; these "phantom energy users" account for up to 10% of a household's electricity use and waste, yet you can dramatically cut back by unplugging these phantom energy users. To easily identify energy vampires, start by reviewing your utility bills. On days when electricity usage falls significantly below average, investigate which devices may have been plugged in that have not been utilized; once identified as potential energy vampires, unplug and place on power strips so they remain switched off when not required. Consider installing smart plugs or similar devices into your home that allow you to track and manage energy usage through an app, providing real time energy consumption data on specific devices or groups of devices; this way, you'll know where energy use is highest. When shopping for appliances and devices, look for ones certified with the ENERGY STAR label to reduce phantom energy use. Products bearing this blue seal tend to consume far less phantom power. Your house may never be free from energy waste entirely; some devices such as your fridge and alarm require constant electricity flows for proper functioning. But the truth is that much of this energy loss is simply waste, and there are plenty of steps you can take to cut back. While you're at it, take the time to consider upgrading old devices with more energy-efficient ones. Though initial costs may be slightly higher, long-term savings more than make up for it and you will also help reduce energy usage across both communities and our planet. 2. Turn Off the Device Even when turned off, appliances and devices continue to draw power; this phantom energy usage is often one of the largest sources of wasted electricity in your home. While some of these items (like refrigerators and security alarms) serve a critical purpose ( such as fridges or alarm systems), their energy use during their standby mode can significantly be reduced by unplugging them or making sure that they actually turn off when not needed. Start searching for hidden power sources by reviewing your appliance list. You might be surprised to discover that computer monitor, printer and TVs are drawing considerable energy when they're in standby mode; visit Idle Load Database for more details on their energy consumption while idle. Use of a power strip can be an efficient and effortless way to cut off electricity from devices when they're not in use, particularly devices you constantly plug in and out such as your coffee machine or laptop. Simply turn off at the wall when not using it to reduce phantom load by up to 30%! An efficient way to reduce unnecessary energy waste is investing in smart plugs. These gadgets allow you to set timers for devices to switch off when it isn't needed anymore - perfect for keeping TV and phone chargers from running all night while you sleep. Simply create a habit of unplugging appliances when they're not being used and ensuring they truly switch off when not needed - this will significantly decrease phantom energy use, leading to savings on your electric bill! Plus, switching to energy saving ENERGY STAR certified devices could even further decrease phantom usage! 3. Measure the Device’s Power Electronic devices typically draw low levels of current when inactive and transmitting, and consume orders of magnitude more power when active and transmitting. This phenomenon is known as "pulling power." Knowledge of your device power usage and employing energy-optimization tools will help reduce your electric bill costs. This may range from using Smart Plugs to control appliances to monitoring energy use with a smart meter - everything counts when trying to save money! Vampire energy (phantom power) accounts for 10-20% of an average household's electricity usage and can come from various sources including unplugged devices, computer monitors in standby mode and cell phone chargers that appear turned off but continue consuming electricity even though they appear switched off. Use an energy monitor, like the P3 Kill a Watt EZ available on Amazon, to quickly estimate how many watt-hours an item consumes in one hour, week, month or year. Measure power consumption with a multimeter or oscilloscope equipped with suitable probes and software, connecting probes directly to device power terminals in parallel and series (at +power terminal for current measurement, +/-power terminals for voltage measurement). Set multimeter to maximum "amps" setting before turning on device; record instantaneous current and voltage data sample by sample to create power consumption curve for device. Once you know how much power the device you are purchasing is using, use your meter and consult its manufacturer's website or technical specifications documents for more details on its power usage. Once you understand your device's power consumption levels more fully, use this knowledge to make more informed purchasing decisions; perhaps switching to ENERGY STAR certified equipment with limited automatic updates? 4. Calculate the Device’s Power Consumption Once you unplug a device, it should become clear how much electricity it uses. Multiply its wattage by the total number of hours used each day in order to calculate daily power usage or energy consumption in kilowatt-hours (kWh). This information can help identify ways of reducing "phantom energy", as well as help understand your energy bills better. Discovering that various devices in your home are siphoning energy even when they appear to be turned off can be shocking, often called vampires or energy hogs, they can drain money by pulling electricity directly from the grid - known as "phantom load," up to 10% of your household electric bill can be lost due to them! Entertainment or electronics devices that consume phantom energy include TVs and gaming consoles. These devices use power just to maintain settings or channels or "sleep," using up unnecessary energy resources in the process. But there are steps you can take to reduce phantom load usage and save money! Estimating wattage is easiest when looking at its label or user manual. You could also try searching online for its energy consumption or purchasing an electric meter monitor to see exactly how much each device is consuming while connected. An alternative way of finding out is to access the database of Energy Star-certified products, which lists an estimate for how much standby energy each device consumes; however, this database doesn't cover many common household devices like fans or battery chargers. Ultimately, the best way to ascertain a device's wattage is with a voltmeter or current meter; however, this may be expensive and inconvenient. If you lack access to these tools, an easy rule-of-thumb is that similar devices use similar amounts of electricity while running/charging; for instance most inkjet printers typically consume 12-15 Watts while running; most laptops need 40-60 Watts when charging.