Reducing the energy used by Vampire Appliances, or Instant-on Appliances, can remove five percent to ten percent of the energy costs of a household.
Electronic devices that use standby power, described as Instant-On Appliances draw energy when they are turned off. These appliances cost consumers $3 billion a year, says Cornell News from Cornell University. A report released in September, 2002 by Cornell says, "Much of the electrical power generated in the United States comes from fossil-fuel power plants, so Vampire Appliances significantly contribute to the production of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants."
Mark Pierce, a Cornell Cooperative Extension associate in the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis (DEA) in Cornell’s College of Human Ecology, says “Off doesn’t mean off anymore, but standby and as a result, we are using the equivalent of seven electrical generating plants just to supply the amount of electricity needed to support the standby power of our vampire appliances when they are off.”
A report released by the U.S. government in 2008 suggests that even though there are more appliances in use today, latest studies show that standby power is decreasing, resulting from improved technologies and heightened consumer awareness.
Standby Vampire Appliances
Common Instant-on Appliances include:
- TVs
- VCRs
- DVDs
- Portable stereos
- Cordless phone chargers
- Microwave ovens
- Clock radios
- Answering machines
- Computer modems
- Laptops that are plugged in and not running on battery power
- Space heaters
- Cell phone chargers
- Baby monitors
- Portable cordless power tool chargers
- Garage door openers
For spotting Instant-on appliances look for equipment that has features of remote controls, continuous digital displays, rechargeable batteries or soft-touch keypads.
The “Home Electronics” section of the EnergyStar website has lists of electronics that cut energy waste by using less standby power.
Certain appliance functions do require small amount of electricity. Good design can reduce the power requirements for these functions, but not down to zero.
- Maintaining signal reception capability (for remote control, telephone or network signal)
- Monitoring temperature or other conditions (such as a refrigerator)
- Powering an internal clock
- Battery charging and continuous display
The standby power of a computer monitor costs an average of $57 a year when the computer is shut down overnight and on weekends. If the computer’s sleep function is used, the power costs about $40 a year for those night and weekends, costing almost as much a year for the nights and weekends as it costs to run the computer on weekdays.
Saving Energy with Vampire Appliances
- If an appliance is not frequently used, unplug it. For example, the television set in the quest bedroom can be unplugged.
- Use a power strip (surge protector strip) for clusters of computer or video products. Everything can be switched to zero with one simple action.
- When shopping for new appliances, check with the EnergyStar products list and locate appliances with lower standby energy requirements.
- Purchasing a low-cost watt-meter to measure each device in the home to determine the biggest energy vampires will allow the homeowner to take appropriate action. This aggressive approach can reduce the standby energy consumption of 30% or more.
The term "vampire" refers to the external power supply, the little black cubes which have two plugs, and "suck" electricity when plugged into a power supply while not performing their intended function. The vast majority of consumers are not aware that Vampire Appliances continue to draw electricity when turned off.
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