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Vampire appliances

Last updated, 01/04/2009 Comments (0) |

Photo credit: Dlade on Flickr

Vampire appliances are the electronics found within a home that draw standby power once they have been turned off.  The actual amount of power wasted varies between appliances but the Internal Energy Agency has estimated that there is between 200-400 terawatts of standby power used per year.  That equals approximately $4 billion of usage within the US.

While it is not possible to eliminate the usage of standby power with an appliance, it is possible to save overall energy by purchasing Energy Star approved electronics. Before any appliance may receive the Energy Star label, they must first prove that they conform to the energy-efficiency criteria that is set for that item.  Some products, like refrigerators or furnaces, also come with an effiency number which allows the consumer to compare products and determine which is best for their own needs.

By replacing old vampire appliances with newer Energy Star certified products, the consumer will gradually see a savings in the amount of electricity used within their home. Watt meters can also be used to measure the amount of standby power that an appliance uses.

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