Green Myth #1: Appliances use no energy when turned off October 13, 2008

Even though you may flick the switch to “off”, appliances may continue to draw energy in “standby” mode. Some use as much energy when they are turned off as when they are on. In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off.

Current estimates indicate that standby power use in the U.S. accounts costs consumers $2.7 billion per year in electricity, according to Power Management SupplyLine.

What uses standby electricity? Anything with an external power supply (wallpack), remote control, or clock display require standby electricity. A wide array of products consume standby power, but it’s often difficult to be certain which do and do not. Here are some clues to help identify products with standby power use.

• external power supply (such as wallpacks or wall warts) that convert AC electricity into DC electricity, whether or not they are powering any device.
  e.g. cell phone charger, laptop computer, inkjet printer, computer peripherals
• built-in rechargeable battery
  e.g. cordless telephone
• remote control
  e.g. TV, VCR, DVD player, room air conditioner, ceiling fan, audio equipment
• continuous digital display
  e.g. microwave oven, washing machine, VCR, Set-top boxes such as cable boxes, satellite systems, internet terminal and video games
• products that feel warm when turned off
  e.g. DVRs, Set-top boxes such as cable boxes, satellite systems, internet terminal and video games
• products you may not turn off when not in use
  e.g. accent lighting, fans, desktop computer, computer printer, scanners

What can you do?

• Decide if it makes sense to unplug it. Some products, such as the set-top box on a TV, and others with digital displays, may not be practical to unplug because they require reprogramming each time they’re plugged back in.
• Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use. Consider purchasing a device like the APC Power-Saving SurgeArrest surge protector power strip. Plug your computer into the master outlet and peripherals into outlets controlled by the master, automating the shutdown process. See NY Times article, Reducing the Amount of Juice Electronic Gadgets Consume.
• If you upgrade your computer consider a laptop instead of a desktop; they use much less energy than their desktop cousins.
• To maximize savings with a laptop, put the AC adapter on a power strip that can be turned off (or will turn off automatically); the transformer in the AC adapter draws power continuously, even when the laptop is not plugged into the adapter.
• Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use.
• Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use.
• If looking for new household products, look for ones that have earned the Energy Star. Energy Star qualified consumer electronic products in the off position use up to 50% less energy than conventional equipment.

Resources:

• Energy Star: Energy Star Qualified Products
• NY Times: Reducing the Amount of Juice Electronic Gadgets Consume
• Power Management SupplyLine
• Salon.com: Put a stake in it
• U.S. Department of Energy: How to Buy Products with Low Standby Power

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