VAMPIRE POWER

WHICH APPLIANCES ARE CONTRIBUTING TO A SCARY ENERGY BILL?

B Y ON THE MOVE

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.

According to the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, Australians spend $860 million on standby power annually. To put that in perspective, that’s roughly $100 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 download content, run automatic Wi-Fi checks, and require complex standby sensors to enable them to be turned on by remote control or even voice activation. A gaming console on active standby uses an average of 5.4W of power per hour, clocking an extra 0.15 cents of electricity every 60 minutes. Forgetting to turn them off when you go on holiday could be a costly mistake.

WHERE ARE THE VAMPIRES IN YOUR HOUSE?

The ones to watch out for are 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 defi nitely if you go away on holiday.

You might be surprised to know that DVD players and televisions consume relatively small amounts of phantom power, with standby costs being typically around the $5 mark for an entire year. That being said, in a world where households rarely have only one screen, this wasted energy use can add up quickly.

Every household is different, and the amount you spend on vampire power will vary depending on the number and type of appliances left on standby, the appliance effi ciency ratings and your electricity rate. But no matter which way you slice it, there’s a lot of money and energy being drained by phantom consumption.

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.

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