Phantom Loads

Phantom Loads Revealed

Many home appliances and consumer electronics products are using electricity constantly, even when their power switch is in the “off” position. According to a recent study, Humboldt County's total phantom load is on the order of 3.4 MW. And nationally, we spend more than $3 billion to supply power to appliances we think are turned off. Following the simple measures below, you can save money, decrease pollution and ensure the prolonged performance of your electrical devices.

What Are Phantom Loads

Phantom loads are small constant loads in electronic devices that consume electricity, even when the device is turned “off” or not performing its principal function. Examples of phantom loads are the clocks in VCRs and microwave ovens, the small black wall cubes that adapt DC appliances to run on AC house current, and the instant-on features in televisions and home entertainment centers.These loads typically range from 1 to 10 Watts per appliance.

“Leaking electricity”, “standby loads”, “standby consumption” and “energy vampires” are other terms used to describe phantom loads. They contribute to significant amounts of energy consumption by drawing power out of sight and out of mind , 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This constant power draw adds up.
 
How Much Energy is Being Wasted

In California an average house constantly leaks between 50 and 100 Watts of energy, or 5% -23% of a home’s total electricity consumption. Nationally, we spend more than $3 billion a year to supply power to appliances we think we have turned off. The U.S. consumption of phantom loads equals the electricity use of Greece, Peru and Vietnam combined. The energy consumed to power appliances we aren’t using requires 8 large power plants, which emit nearly 12 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere.

In the U.S., phantom loads of CD players consume enough energy every year to power the Las Vegas strip for six months.

Examples of Phantom Load Consumption

The following is a list of some common household electrical devices and their phantom load power consumption in watts.

Average Usage and Cost per Month

The following is an example of the average number of kilowatt-hours (kWh) used in a month while these devices are in "off" mode, and the cost per month using baseline prices ($0.13 / kWh).

Benefits of Reducing Phantom Loads

Based on 67 Watts per household, Humboldt County’s approximately 50,000 households have a total phantom load on the order of 3.4 MW, or nearly one and a half times the total output capacity of Matthews Dam hydroelectric plant at Ruth Lake. In addition to reducing the energy generation capacity needed, other benefits of reducing phantom loads are:

• Saving money
• Decreasing pollution
• Lessening the risk of fire and shock hazards
• Ensuring and prolonging the proper performance of electrical devices

Measures to Reduce Your Phantom Load Demand

The following measures will reduce your household’s phantom load demand

• Unplug devices that are not in use.
• Whenever possible place electrical devices where there is a manual on/off switch between the device plug and outlet, such as a power strip, extension cord with toggle switch or wall switch.
• When buying new appliances, purchase those with the Energy Star label or similar low-watt off mode consumption standard.
• Instead of plug in clocks purchase wind up or solar powered ones.
• Unplug your answering machine when you’re at home, or get voice messaging from the phone company.

Additional Resources

• Phantom Loads (pdf, 120 KB) -- Cal SSEC, University of California - Berkeley.
• Are Phantom Loads Haunting Your Energy Bill? -- University of Oregon