Roughly half the electricity produced in this country comes from coal (EIA). In order to reduce consumption and residential lower our energy bills, it is imperative to scour one’s home for so-called energy vampires – items that draw electricity from the outlet even when they are seemingly not in use. Also referred to as the “phantom load”, these may be as simple as phone chargers remaining plugged in, or even as innocuous as a toaster oven that draws power to run one of three or four clocks in the kitchen or electric toothbrushes that remain plugged in despite being fully charged.

Plenty of websites have written about this phenomenon. In fact, one story from the Associated Press last year provides insight into how easily one individual reduced his utility bill and consumption of electricity by reducing the phantom load in his place. Stanford University’s School of Earth Sciences has created a website with tips and tricks for ferreting out these vampires.

One investment that may help determine if unplugging devices is worthwhile, is the Kill-A-Watt, reviewed in an earlier post. A simple tool to use, the Kill-A-Watt can be programmed to calculate the cost of keeping devices plugged in to the outlet. From this point, homeowners can determine how much the phantom load impacts their household budgets. The cost of this device can be recouped in a few short months of conservation.

- Eric Wilson

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