A 'Smart' Way To Defeat Vampire Power
Power vampires, the kind that haunt CUB’s dreams, are the home electronics that suck energy even when they’re turned off or in “standby” mode.
A VCR, for example, can use more power in standby mode in a given year than it does playing movies and recording TV shows, according to the US Department of Energy. The same goes for that tiny digital clock on microwaves—it can suck more power than the microwave uses to cook food over the course of an entire year.
Energy Star, the federal program to help consumers cut energy bills, estimates that about 8 percent of household electricity use can be attributed to vampire power, costing the average family about $100 a year.
The good news is a smart power strip can take a big bite out of vampire power.
Unlike an ordinary power strip, which only cuts off power to electronics when it’s manually switched off, a smart strip has sensors that automatically detect and cut off power to devices in standby mode. Typically, a smart strip has a “control” outlet, a handful of “switched” outlets connected to the control, and a few outlets that are “always hot.”
In a home entertainment center, a television would best be plugged into the control outlet, while devices that are only used when the television is on, like a DVD player, VCR, and sound system, would be plugged into the switched outlets. When the television is turned off, the smart strip automatically cuts off power to it and the DVD player, VCR and sound system too.
Devices that have special shut-down procedures, like inkjet or laser printers, and devices that should always be turned on, like a cordless phone base or security system, should be plugged into the “always hot” outlets.
Some more advanced smart strips come with extra features, like a motion detector, which automatically powers down devices when a room is empty for a certain period of time. Others come with remote controls that allow consumers to turn devices on and off from across the room.
Costing about $20 to $40, smart strips are more expensive than ordinary power strips, but can pay for themselves in one to two years. CUB Energy Saver estimates that a typical smart power strip connected to a television, DVD player, VCR and CD player would save a consumer $15 over the course of the year. That amount varies depending on what electronic devices are plugged into the strip.
So put away the garlic and wooden stakes. You can defeat vampire electronics with a trip to the hardware store.
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