Why is the electricity bill always high?

Even when all devices are turned off, you are still wasting power. You think that pressing the button to turn off electronic devices such as TVs, DVRs, and broadcast receivers is done, but actually they continue to run in standby mode.

In standby mode, these electronic devices are not turned off completely. They keep updating, recording your favorite shows and waiting for you to turn them back on. In the process, these products continue to eat up electricity and make your month-end bill “stunner”.

This phenomenon is known as “stand-by power” or “phantom load” which can be translated as “standby power” or “dummy load”. The lost power is called “vampire energy” or “leaking energy”.

According to the US Energy Administration, wasted electricity accounts for more than 10% of what you pay in your month-end bill.

TVs, DVRs, and TV receivers aren’t the only power-hungry devices. Maybe you have multiple chargers plugged into your house 24/7. Charging your phone uses about 0.26 watts of power per day if it’s plugged in continuously without using it. Charging the laptop also consumes power with about 4.42 watts if not in use and 29.48 watts to fully charge to 100%.

Check your home’s electricity usage

Want to check if your home is a “victim” of an electrical leak? Turn off the air conditioner, heater, water heater. Now turn off all electrical devices in the house but keep them plugged in. Then look at your electricity meter. Are the numbers still going up? If yes, it means that the devices in your home are still consuming power.

Another way to try that is to use devices like the Kill-A-Watt or the Belkin WeMo Insight Switch sold in the US. These products will help you measure the amount of power used when the device is plugged in.

How to reduce power leakage

The easiest way to stop a power leak is to unplug all appliances from the outlet when not in use. But it’s a very annoying job because you have dozens of things plugged into the electrical outlet scattered all over the house. An easier way is to use the electrical outlets that come with the switch. When you’re not using the device anymore, just turn off the switch and that’s it. All power to the devices will be cut off so those devices will not be able to run in standby mode. Some types of sockets also have a remote control function, allowing you to disconnect the power from the outlet anywhere in the house, such as the Conserve Switch AV Surge Protector product.

Conserve Switch AV Surge Protector

Even many types industrial socket plug power is also equipped with intelligent functions, allowing you to disconnect the power and maintain the power of each different device. Some types of outlets are designed so that when you turn off a device or disconnect a device from charging, the outlet senses and turns off all power to the device.

Some socket types, such as the Belkin WeMo Insight Switch and the Quirky Pivot Power Genius, can also be programmed and adjusted by the app for scheduled remote power off.

According to Cnet/ ICTnews