Green word watch

phantom load \FAN-tum lowd\ noun

1. The energy sapped by appliances when they’re plugged in but not in use. In the average home, an unbelievable 40% of all electricity is used to power electronics while they’re turned “off.” Also known as standby power or vampire power.

A common phantom load culprit is a power adapter with no power-off switch. Many electrical devices - from air conditioners to VCRs - cannot be switched “off” completely without being unplugged. These products draw power 24 hours a day, often without the knowledge of the consumer. While this consumption of power may provide useful functions for appliances such as digital clocks, most power consumed by non-operational devices is considered wasted.

In inefficiently designed electrical goods, phantom power consumption can be as high as 15 or 20 watts. This may not seem like much for a single application, but the sum of all the phantom power used by the billions of appliances in Canada is extremely significant. It is estimated that all TVs and DVD players that are turned “off” consume millions of dollars a year in electricity.

How can you avoid phantom power? Pick up a power bars for your home that have on/off switches, and turn the power bar off when your electronics are not in use. It’s that simple.