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You'll never rid your house entirely of phantom power loss. A steady stream of electricity is necessary for your home's baseline operation (powering your refrigerator and water heater, for example) and to keep you synced to the outside world (through your TV or cable modem). But most phantom power is just wasteful and costly to your household budget and the environment.
Why the apparent increase? One possible factor, cited in a 2020 research report by the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, is the rise in mandated household systems such as fire alarms or battery backups. But the bigger culprit is the explosive growth in consumer electronics (the so-called "Internet of Things") that has occurred over the last 20 years.
It's simple: the more devices you plug in, the greater the drain. And that's true even though individual devices have gotten better at limiting the amount of electricity they use in standby mode. In the Sense survey, homes with 15 or more consumer electronics—such as TVs, DVRs, game consoles, and cable boxes—trickled away four times as much energy as those with one or two devices. Big houses with many gadgets that made up the top 10% of energy wasters had 15 times the energy loss of the "energy sippers" in the bottom 10%.
But there is good news. The research also indicates that if those homes losing gobs of power lower their phantom power drain to what the median home loses—about 350W—it could cut overall energy use in the US by 10% and save homeowners $18 billion annually.
How Can I Prevent Phantom Power?
Phantom power loss is challenging to quantify, but here are some ways to determine if it's lurking in your home.
- Start by analyzing your utility usage.
- Then take an inventory.
- After that, test your devices.
- Finally, consider getting a Home Energy Monitor.
Now, let's dig into each of these.
Analyze Usage Data from Your Utility
For a general sense of how much energy you may be wasting, look at the daily usage chart on your utility bill. Find days when you're not at home or that have the lowest consistent value. If it's consistently high, that's a red flag. For greater detail, see if your utility supports "Green Button" data, enabling homeowners to download their energy data and analyze it through various companion apps.
What Home Products Use the Most Phantom Power?
If you know your home is leaking energy but not sure what to unplug, you're not alone. According to a Harris Poll conducted along with the Sense survey, 82 percent of respondents had no idea where their phantom power drain was coming from.
But some devices are known to contribute to phantom power losses. Here are the prime suspects and what you can do to prevent them from wasting energy:
What Are Plug Loads?
These include anything that plugs into a wall, such as digital clocks, small appliances, electric toothbrushes, printers, power adapters, and device chargers.
What to Do: Unplug these when not in use and when devices are fully charged. If a transformer is warm to the touch, that's a clue that it's drawing phantom power. Small appliances used at routine times—such as coffee-makers or towel warmers—can be on a timer.
How Can You Reduce Energy Lost From Connected Electronics?
The energy lost from connected electronics can originate from satellite boxes, cable modems, routers, and networked devices. Unplugging these devices isn't always an option, but newer models draw less power like their remote-ready relatives. ENERGY STAR-certified set-top boxes, for example, are on average 25 percent more efficient, so check with your cable or satellite service to see if they're an option.
How Can You Reduce Energy Wasted by Builder-Installed or Continuous Loads?
Builder-installed or continuous loads components include thermostats, furnaces, GFCI outlets, security systems, sump or recirculation pumps, and any device where continuous operation is necessary. Except for switching off your furnace in summer, you can't simply turn these systems off without defeating their purpose. Should you have occasion to replace them, though, consult your contractor about energy-saving options.
