Electric timers are a holiday decorator’s best friend, but have you thought about extending their use past the new year? Timers in your electrical outlets can reduce your phantom energy use and save you money year-round! Phantom energy (a.k.a. standby power, vampire power, phantom load, ghost load) refers to the way electric power is consumed by your electrical devices while they are switched off. Phantom energy can account for 10 percent of your electricity use.
Items that can use phantom energy include:
• Televisions
• Cable boxes
• Gaming consoles
• Speakers
• DVD players
• Streaming devices
• Washers and dryers
• Chargers
• Computers
• Printers
• Kitchen items such as microwaves, blenders, coffee makers and toaster ovens
Don’t worry, there’s an easy way to reduce your phantom energy use! Think about the devices you use in combination such as the TV, DVD player and DVR, or computer, monitor and printer. If you plug those grouped items into the same surge protector and then plug that surge protector into a timer, you can control when those devices use energy. Simply set the timer to shut off when you’re sleeping or at work! To understand more ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency, contact Piedmont Electric at 800.222.3107 or info@pemc.coop to request a free home energy audit.