The Phantom Menace On Your Electricity Bill

Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - Turn off all the lights in your house at night and wander around. You'll be amazed at how many devices continue to glow.
Utility executives call it phantom load, the electricity that flows to devices that are turned off but still drawing power. A microwave with a clock that's on 24 hours a day. A TV that's not on but continuously consuming electricity so it's ready when you hit the remote's "on" button. Wireless phone chargers that keep drawing power even when no phone is plugged in.
Individually, none of these turned-off devices use much power. But together they represent an estimated 2 to 8 percent of a home's electricity usage.

For home office equipment, this stand-by or “phantom” power load can range from a few watts to as much as 20 or even 40 watts for each piece of equipment.

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