Phantom Loads

It’s 12 noon...Do you know what’s plugged in at your house?

There are devices in your household that are drawing energy even when you aren't around!  During the day, while we are gone, we expect the furnace to keep the pipes from freezing and the fridge to keep our food cold. These are appliances doing their job.  But a phantom load is defined as power used by electrical devices when they are on standby or or supposed to be turned off.

Recent Study Results

The Thunder Bay Hydro Conservation and Energy Services department recently completed a phantom load study in a typical Thunder Bay household. Power consumption was measured on each device plugged in at the home. Devices ranged from cordless drills plugged into their charger to home entertainment equipment and ranged in age from new to 20 years old.

Some of the items drawing power even when they weren’t in use were using 280 kWh per year in standby mode. In all, we were able to identify around 900 kWh per year being used as standby power consumption.

We estimate that 700 kWh could be saved using simple methods such as a charging station for battery powered devices, power bars with timers and simply unplugging seldom used devices. This related to about an 8% saving for the test homeowner.

Figuring Your Phantom Load Out

Being informed about what is plugged in at your home and how much power it is consuming is a vital step in controlling phantom load.  Walk around your house and look at the electrical recepticles in each room. You should always be asking yourself these questions: why is it plugged in and how much power am I actually using when I’m not using it?

Some solutions are to:

• Unplug it unless you are using it.
• Use a power bar to conveniently power up related devices when needed.
• Use a power bar with a timer, so it is powered only during times when it is regularly needed.
• Create a battery-charging station that only uses power during the wee hours.
• Activate any energy saving options within the appliance. (ie computers come with software that will decrease power draw when left idle).

Thunder Bay Hydro has Line Loggers available at no charge to measure power consumption in your home. These can help you determine where some of your phantom load is coming from.

Access our Home Audit Spreadsheets

Future Power Costs

Time of Use prices are here. Now is the time to consider how to reduce your peak time power usage.

When buying something new that plugs in, remember, all electrical devices have two price tags, the initial purchase price and the cost of operating it. Be aware of the operating cost. Some sale items may not be that great a bargain. When purchasing new electrical devices, consider Energy Star qualified products. They must meet demanding standby power requirements.  Also consider whether those 'extras' such as a clock are worth the power they draw when the item is not in use.

This page last updated 2012-02-06.