VA MP I R E P OW E R
WHICH APPLIANCES ARE CONTRIBUTING TO A SCARY ENERGY BILL? Standby power - also known as ‘phantom load’ or, scarier still, ‘vampire power’ - is the energy that is used while your devices are turned off, but still plugged in.
BY ON THE MOVE
download content, run automatic
phantom power, with standby costs
Wi-Fi checks, and require complex
being typically around the $5 mark
standby sensors to enable them to
for an entire year. That being said,
be turned on by remote control or
in a world where households rarely
even voice activation. A gaming
have only one screen, this wasted
console on active standby uses
energy use can add up quickly.
an average of 5.4W of power per hour, clocking an extra 0.15 cents of electricity every 60 minutes.
According to the Department of
Forgetting to turn them off when
Industry, Innovation and Science,
you go on holiday could be a
Australians spend $860 million on
costly mistake.
per household each year.
ACTIVE STANDBY VS PASSIVE STANDBY Appliances which are turned off, yet still display the time or can be activated by remote control or internal timers, are typically in ‘passive standby’ mode when not in use. These use relatively little electricity, just enough to power sensors that enable it to be switched back on. But not all appliances are so simple. The ones to watch for are those who go on “active standby”. Gaming consoles, for example, routinely
the amount you spend on vampire power will vary depending on the number and type of appliances left on standby, the appliance efficiency ratings and your electricity rate.
standby power annually. To put that in perspective, that’s roughly $100
Every household is different, and
WHERE ARE THE VAMPIRES IN YOUR HOUSE? The ones to watch out for are
But no matter which way you slice it, there’s a lot of money and energy being drained by phantom consumption.
Gaming consoles; Washing machines and dishwashers. Your wireless modem is also a nasty user of phantom power. But seeing as it’s technically ‘in use’ all the time, it may not be the most practical device to shut off every day. If you are looking to cut costs, consider turning off your modem when you head to work in the morning, and definitely if you go away on holiday. You might be surprised to know that DVD players and televisions consume relatively small amounts of
C21 MARKET PULSE
08
CENTURY 21
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR On the Move is Australia’s leading service connections specialist providing a one-stop service for electricity, gas, phone, internet, pay TV and insurance. Since 2004 On The Move has partnered with Real Estate agencies and other organisations to give their customers a convenient and seamless move-in, lights-on experience. https://www.onthemove.com.au/
