Slaying Energy "Vampires"

Experts Say Leaving Electronic Devices In "Standby Mode" Can Be Costly

(AP)  A force as insidious as Dracula is quietly sucking a nickel of every dollar's worth of the electricity that seeps from your home's outlets.

Insert the little fangs of your cell phone charger in the outlet and leave it there, phone attached: That is vampire electronics.

Allow your computer to hide in the cloak of darkness known as "standby mode" rather than shutting it off: That's vampire electronics.

The latest estimates show 5 percent of electricity used in the United States goes to standby power, a phenomenon energy efficiency experts find all the more terrifying as energy prices rise and the planet warms. That amounts to about $4 billion a year.

The percentage could rise to 20 percent by 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

In California, lawmakers passed a proposal last year - dubbed the Vampire Slayers Act - to add vampire electronics labels to consumer products, detailing how much energy a charger, computer, DVD player, PlayStation, microwave or coffee maker uses when on, off or in standby mode.

"It's something people don't know about," said Dave Walton, home ideas director for Direct Energy, a utility and energy services company that has one of its four main offices in Dublin, Ohio.

The issue is particularly pressing in Ohio, the U.S.'s No. 1 emitter of toxic air emissions - mostly from electricity production at the state's coal-fired power plants. Walton said skyrocketing energy costs mean everyone should worry about the vampires in the house.

The International Energy Agency has estimated standby energy use by vampire electronics at 200 to 400 terawatt-hours a year. The entire country of Italy consumes about 300 terawatt-hours of electricity each year, according to the agency.

Picture any appliance that displays a clock while otherwise idle, such as a microwave oven, coffee maker or DVD player. They constantly consume little bits of energy.

"About 40 percent of the electricity being used to power your home electronics is consumed while they are in that standby mode," Walton said. "If you just focus on that piece, you will be making a big step."

Ditto for things that charge, such as cell phones, PDAs, toothbrushes or portable tools, some of which trickle a charge even after the device that's charging is at capacity.

Some chargers halt the flow of current when it is not needed, which should happen automatically with chargers for lithium-ion batteries. If you are uncertain, Walton advises unplugging chargers when not in use.

He recommends hooking up your home computer system, including accessories like a printer or scanner, to a single power strip that can be easily switched off each night. He advises shutting off the other vampires too, though the inconvenience of resetting the clocks, channels and timers on those devices each morning will discourage most people.

The government-backed Energy Star program, coordinated jointly by the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, identifies appliances that consume less energy.

If one in 10 American homes used only appliances endorsed through the program, the Energy Department estimates, it would reduce U.S. carbon emissions by the same amount as planting 1.7 million acres of trees.

[rf36]

Insidious! Even my rechargable shaver flashes after it''s fully charged. I''ll stick with the Energy Star monitors and other appliances when I can find them. I will not, however, be shutting off my computer every night...full shutdowns are bad for most computers. Stand-by and/or hibernate mode will have to do.

[puzzler125]

I have the lowest electricity bill of anyone I''ve ever met. Why? I do not keep my microwave, DVD player, television, cell phone charger, VCR or any other appliance plugged in unless I''m using it. (Only my electric stove and refrigerator stay plugged in. I''d unplug the stove but I can''t reach the plug.) Turn off your computer when not in use, other clocks tell you the time quite nicely, and you can cut your electric bill drastically. I also turn off my dishwasher as soon as the wash cycle is over and never run the drying cycle. Why bother? It wastes electricity.

Next one up? Whether or not you really need to warm your car on cold mornings. Idling it for 10 to 15 minutes is a waste of gas, pollutes the environment and if you start driving slowly after just a few minutes it warms up quite nicely. I''ve been doing this for more than 25 years with several vehicles to no ill effect.

Yes, I also wear a sweater or sweatshirt indoors in winter and keep the thermostat low. You wouldn''t believe how much money I save!

[dlaro]

If I were going to go beserk over this tiny use of energy, I would certainly not use a dishwasher or electric razor or toothbrush. A sink can be used for dishes, for a manual razor and toothbrush, too.

And if I really wanted to be constantly uncomfortable I would not own an airconditioner or heater, get a woodstove and a funeral home fan. None of this is unreasonable, I grew up with this same lack of convenience and I don''t intend to have a guilt attack because I have more than one electric clock running in the house. I''ve seen photos of Al Gore''s mansion. I''ll pay for carbon offsets like he does.

[iceman_1960]

RE: "Picture any appliance that displays a clock while otherwise idle, such as a microwave oven, coffee maker or DVD player. They constantly consume little bits of energy."

It"s the ghost of James Tyrone Sr. speaking. It sounds like what that fictional character was constantly complaining about.

As the patriarch in Eugene O"Neill"s play "Long Day"s Journey into Night," he is always grousing about the cost of electricity. He"s always demanding that the lights in the house be turned off to "avoid enriching the d*amned electric company."

[johnbrandy]

This article states that "About 40 percent of the electricity being used to power your home electronics is consumed while they are in standby mode." It also states that "the latest estimates shows 5 percent of electricity use in the United States goes to standby power." These percentages are not compatible, therefore, it would seem that electricity is being needlessly consumed in other than home electronics. As such, this potential issue, in other than home electronics needs to be acknowledged and detailed. Further, "new technology" used in homes, industry, etc., should be required to have sleep modes and battery backups to limit this issue. I seriously doubt that the average consumer will unplug electronic appliances and other applications to address this problem. Thus, laws must be mandated to require manufactures of electronic components and appliances to install "sleep" modes that effectively eliminate this problem. I cannot envision a more practical solution.

[johnbrandy]

This article states that "About 40 percent of the electricity being used to power your home electronics is consumed while they are in standby mode." It also states that "the latest estimates shows 5 percent of electricity use in the United States goes to standby power." These percentages are not compatible, therefore, it would seem that electricity is being needlessly consumed in other than home electronics. As such, this potential issue, in other than home electronics needs to be acknowledged and detailed. Further, "new technology" used in homes, industry, etc., should be required to have sleep modes and battery backups to limit this issue. I seriously doubt that the average consumer will unplug electronic appliances and other applications to address this problem. Thus, laws must be mandated to require manufactures of electronic components and appliances to install "sleep" modes that effectively eliminate this problem. I cannot envision a more practical solution.

[johnbrandy]

This article states that "About 40 percent of the electricity being used to power your home electronics is consumed while they are in standby mode." It also states that "the latest estimates shows 5 percent of electricity use in the United States goes to standby power." These percentages are not compatible, therefore, it would seem that electricity is being needlessly consumed in other than home electronics. As such, this potential issue, in other than home electronics needs to be acknowledged and detailed. Further, "new technology" used in homes, industry, etc., should be required to have sleep modes and battery backups to limit this issue. I seriously doubt that the average consumer will unplug electronic appliances and other applications to address this problem. Thus, laws must be mandated to require manufactures of electronic components and appliances to install "sleep" modes that effectively eliminate this problem. I cannot envision a more practical solution.

[johnbrandy]

This article states that "About 40 percent of the electricity being used to power your home electronics is consumed while they are in standby mode." It also states that "the latest estimates shows 5 percent of electricity use in the United States goes to standby power." These percentages are not compatible, therefore, it would seem that electricity is being needlessly consumed in other than home electronics. As such, this potential issue, in other than home electronics needs to be acknowledged and detailed. Further, "new technology" used in homes, industry, etc., should be required to have sleep modes and battery backups to limit this issue. I seriously doubt that the average consumer will unplug electronic appliances and other applications to address this problem. Thus, laws must be mandated to require manufactures of electronic components and appliances to install "sleep" modes that effectively eliminate this problem. I cannot envision a more practical solution.

[johnbrandy]

This article states that "About 40 percent of the electricity being used to power your home electronics is consumed while they are in standby mode." It also states that "the latest estimates shows 5 percent of electricity use in the United States goes to standby power." These percentages are not compatible, therefore, it would seem that electricity is being needlessly consumed in other than home electronics. As such, this potential issue, in other than home electronics needs to be acknowledged and detailed. Further, "new technology" used in homes, industry, etc., should be required to have sleep modes and battery backups to limit this issue. I seriously doubt that the average consumer will unplug electronic appliances and other applications to address this problem. Thus, laws must be mandated to require manufactures of electronic components and appliances to install "sleep" modes that effectively eliminate this problem. I cannot envision a more practical solution.

[eejitalice-2009]

The energy experts are terrified! WOW that is a strong word - I do what I can to save energy but not because I am terrified about the future of the planet. Gee if the experts are terrified how am I supposed to react? Must be the guy who created the internet and got a Nobel Peace prize. He IS scary.

[eejitalice-2009]

The energy experts are terrified! WOW that is a strong word - I do what I can to save energy but not because I am terrified about the future of the planet. Gee if the experts are terrified how am I supposed to react? Must be the guy who created the internet and got a Nobel Peace prize. He IS scary.