http://www.care2.com/greenliving/homes-haunted-by-power-vampires.html
Homes Haunted by Power Vampires
Adapted from The Carbon Busters Home Energy Handbook, by Godo Stoyke (New Society Publishers, 2007).
Your home is most likely haunted by power vampires. Most of us have 10 to 30 power vampires, or power leeches—electrical devices that continuously draw power from your power outlets, even when not supplying any useful service. As a simple rule, the more gadgets in your home, the more power vampires. How many of these sneaky, insidious vampires haunt your home?
The power consumption of power vampires adds up. A recent study found that together they accounted for 5 to 20 percent of total home power consumption, even exceeding the traditionally higher user (the fridge in some homes.) Power vampires are the fastest-growing power users in our homes.
If you eliminate 90 percent of your power vampires in five years you will save $524, 33,700 pounds of C02, and 5,300 kWh of power.
Always a Power Vampire
Laptop chargers, fax machines, answering machines, printer, TVs, cable boxes, cable modems, modems, VCRs, DVD players, DVD recorders, digital video recorders, photocopier with paper sorter, phone chargers, hubs and routers, iPod chargers, video camera battery charger, night light.
Usually a Power Vampire
LCD monitor, audio system, photocopier without paper sorter, plugged-in electric toys.
May Be a Power Vampire
Desktop computer, CRT monitor, battery charger for AA, AAA, D, C, and 9V batteries (Nickel-Cadmium and Nickel-Metal hydride), boom box, battery chargers for rechargeable devices.
Never a Power Vampire
Incandescent lamps, compact fluorescent lights.
Adapted from <i>The Carbon Busters Home Energy Handbook,</i> by Godo Stoyke (New Society Publishers, 2007). Copyright (c) 2007 by Godo Stoyke. Reprinted by permission of New Society Publishers.
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Veronica
61 comments
add your comment »Veronica, from what I can understand from what some people are posting, some countries don’t have the ability to turn off their power at the wall socket (I may be wrong about this, so please correct me if I am). If you have a switch at the wall outlet, then turning the appliance off at the wall will have the same effect as unplugging it. You shouldn't just turn off an appliance at the appliance itself. That is when electricity is wasted.
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If you want to get after people who leech power, go after the developers who put up the McMansions with full a/c and the like. Upstate NY where I live they are building them like crazy and I bet they will cause a lot of blackouts in the coming summers. We should all be responsible and conserve, but if you are up against houses like that, who is the David and who is the Goliath?
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I read an article on here recently that most LCD flat panel tvs are worse power vampires than the standard television set, and since then I make it a habit to unplug both the tv and dvd player when im done with it. I also never leave any type of charger plugged in when its not in use. People should not view this behavior as an inconvenience, with repetition comes habit, and good habits give good results. :)
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David Freeman, I agree. I've often placed my chilly bare feet against the plug-in power supplies for my printer and monitor that live under my desk.
I don't unplug any of my vampires. Things start faster and behave better when they are left plugged in, I've found. Convenience has a value and for me it is worth spending $524 over 5 years.
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When I read the title I thought someone else was having the experience of lights being turned on by something unexplained. No it isn't the switch, it's happened since my husband died..... I am perfectly sane. For the last thirty years I have always switched off everything possible, gets a bit annoying when the satellite box has to reset itself and the microwave won't work unless you re-enter the time of day though. I hear a power station has been put on hold by Eon in the UK, because of everyone cutting back!
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These are some facts which we generally ignore to bother in our daily life. Your article focuses on the aspects of our daily habits through which we not only save money but also property.I appreciate the labor you have put in developing this blog. Nice and informative.
vitamin b12
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things left plugged in are not a waste if it's cool enough to have your heating system on. they produce warmth when using watts.
Yep, unplug or strip them in the warm seasons, but in the cold, they're friends. Welcome them then :-)
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Think back to the early days of Computers.....There is a product that is a basic power strip in the form of a box. On the Front is a switch for each individual plug on the back. I use these in areas where One thing must stay on..example Vonage. I am able to shut down my computer, monitor, printer and leave vonage online. These are also handy for the elderly. I do not suggest these or any other type of power strip to be used on High wattage appliances such as toaster or microwave ovens, unplugging is still the best option here. Hope this helps someone! Thanks, Tim
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So - if you have a power bar, a surge protector,
if you turn it off, it stops pulling power even if it is plugged in? Is this correct?
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Glad to hear that people are becoming aware of the power vampire thing. Personally i know that even when something is turned off, like a tv, unless it is unplugged electriciity will still be pulled, amd that power is then wasted. I've been using a power surge protector for my computer and one for my tv/stereo, when i finish with the computer it gets turned off and the surge protector switch is turned off, thus all power is stopped, i do the same with the tv/stereo, and leave nothing plugged in at nite except my phone. Each person has the choice to use electricity wisely or let it waste, and there are enough who give no thought to this, so Thank you for everyone who does even one small thing to ease the planet we are gifted to live upon.
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