Phantom Load

Phantom load is the unintentional siphoning of electricity by electronics, even when they are shut off. Examples include cell phone chargers, laptops and entertainment components.

Combating phantom load is easy. All you have to do is turn off your computer, monitors, printers and other devices when they're not in use. If charging units are not being used, be sure to unplug them from your outlets. You may also want to consider power strips that allow you to control which devices draw power directly from the strip itself.

Eliminating wasteful draws on electricity can have a big impact:

• Devices that draw around 20 watts in stand-by mode may add up to a couple of dollars a month to your electric bill1.
• A typical American home has forty products constantly drawing power2.
• Phantom loads equate to almost 10% of residential electricity use2.

Be especially conscious of these wasteful culprits2:

• Digital picture frames
• Large screen televisions
• DVD players, video game systems and other home theater components

For a complete summary of electronics and the amount of Phantom Power they draw, view the Standby Power Summary Table.

1. From The U.S. Department of Energy
2. From The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory