Stop the Phantoms

Throughout every home and office there lurk dozens of power-hungry phantoms. Televisions, cable boxes, DVD players, video game consoles, audio systems, computers and printers, microwaves, power tools, space heaters, fans and virtually any other device with a remote control or an “instant-on” feature can suck up five to 10 percent of the energy used in American homes each year, just by being plugged in.

The scary truth is that in the United States alone, phantom load costs consumers more than $3 billion a year, or about $200 per household.

Sturgeon Bay Utilities offers a plan to help prevent these tricky energy-wasters from coming back to haunt customers on their electric bills:

• First, go ghost-busting. Look around for forgotten phantoms, like the cords no longer plugged into a cell phone, laptop or tablet, and the multiple devices that rely on stand-by power. Hunting tip: Turn off the lights at night and look for the glowing lights on electronic devices. Customers may contact the Door County Library to borrow a home power meter called the Kill-a-Watt to identify which electronic devices drain the most energy.

• Figure out where they congregate. The home entertainment system is the most likely place to find a collection of phantoms, but look for other spots, too.

• Divide and conquer. Buy a power strip for each area with multiple phantoms, and make sure they’re in convenient spots that are easy to reach. If needed, buy power strips with one or two “constant” outlets, which allow certain electronics or appliances to always stay on unless manually turned off.

• Keep at it. Put a note on the bathroom mirror or by the bedroom light to go around and turn off the power strips in the morning before leaving the house, or in the evening before bed.