I know, good citizens, you may be asking yourselves "Who, or what, is Phantom Energy?" Well I, Captain Current, am here to help and inform you. Most household items continue to draw power even when they are switched “off.” This is known as a “phantom load” or “energy vampire” and occurs in appliances such as coffee makers, ovens, microwaves, dishwashers, washer & dryers, and other essential items. It occurs in other items such as digital clocks, CD/DVD players, computers (desktop & laptop), printers, cell phone chargers, gaming systems... and the list goes on and on.
Now that you are aware of this insidious danger, you may ask "How do I know how much wasted energy I have in my house?" Don't panic. First, look around you. Start identifying items that have a digital display, illuminations, or makes noise. A typical household has approximately 40 such products constantly plugged in and consuming energy. These energy vampires can tack on 10% to your total electricity use. A crack team of scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory conducted a study on this phantom energy. Fortunately for all of us, the study lists some of the most common household items with their phantom energy consumption. Overall, the phantom loads can increase an item's energy consumption around a few watts an hour.

This may sound daunting, but be vigilant, and consider "How can we all make a difference?" Obviously, there are some items that must stay plugged in. For example, if you have a digital clock. It is not feasible to unplug the clock when not in use and then plug it back in and reset the time when needed. To eliminate energy waste on the items that really don't need to be plugged in, the energy needs to be stopped to the item. You can do this by unplugging the item or having the item plugged into a power strip. This is helpful if you have appliances within close range of one another. You can eliminate the phantom load by switching off the power strip, instead of unplugging each appliance.

By working together, we can defeat this waste that is all around us. But it all begins with you. For other tips on reducing your phantom energy consumption, stay tuned to my further crusades as they unfold...