Don’t let Phantom Load Haunt Your House

October 17, 2019

It’s almost Halloween, so we thought now would be a good time to warn you about the thing that’s most likely haunting your home. Phantom loading is lurking around your home, draining energy out of your appliances and electronics, and most people never even realize it.

Phantom loading is when your appliances consume electricity even when they’re turned off. Also known as vampire or virtual loading, this occurs in electronic appliances such as your DVD player and computer monitor. Devices that are turned off or on standby mode but still plugged into an outlet costs the average household $100 per year.

Although phantom loading is favorable to avoid wasting energy during the test of measurement instrument, phantom loads can be found in almost every room of a home, meaning the constant use of energy adds up. Home office equipment, microwaves, coffee machines, and many of our phone and laptop chargers around the home are constantly drawing power when plugged in.

While many electronic devices use significantly more energy when turned on, the energy they use when plugged in and not running can quickly drain your wallet. Phantom load is wasted energy that adds to your bill. Here are some simple steps to take to ward off these phantoms haunting your home:

Unplug appliances and electronics when you’re not using them. A power strip can simplify this process.
Turn off your computer monitor and printer completely. Screensavers don’t reduce energy use.
Consider Energy Star appliances; these use 10 to 50 percent less energy than traditional appliances.

Check all of your home’s rooms for these phantoms and cut wasted energy out of your monthly bill. If you have any questions or concerns about how to keep your electronic devices and appliances running despite power outages, give us a call at 501-315-7213!