We finally received a hydro/utility bill we were happy with. Why? Because according to our utility company, the first six months of the year we averaged 160 kWh per day. Since beginning our commitment to live naturally and simply in June, we are averaging less than 20 kWh per day. In fact, our latest bill for Aug 21 – Sept 21 shows us only using 11 kWh per day! The cost savings is tremendous.
It’s not only a financial issue (as we were paying quite a bit a month for our electric usage), but the more we learn, the more we realize we have to do some things very differently to cut back our power usage and help protect our environment. It is not our electricity use that is polluting the environment, but the methods of producing that electricity are the culprits (such as mining coal which is then burned to turn water into steam to turn the turbines that generate the electricity…).
In doing some basic research, we estimate it used to take about 160 pounds of coal per day to supply our energy needs. Now we are only using the equivalent of about 11 pounds per day. We have many other steps we want to take to cut back, however, considering we both work from home and the average Canadian household averages 32 kWh/day, I think we are doing well.
We have done everything that the media had told us to do, i.e. change to compact florescent bulbs, adjust the settings on our thermostat, clean our furnace filters, air dry our clothes (even on cold days), stop using hot water to wash clothes, etc. Although it has made a huge difference, we still want to do as much as we can with the result being we are not overly inconvenienced, in the hope that our new actions will reap great results.
And that’s when we learned about the ‘Phantom Load’. It sounds kind of scary, and quite honestly, looking at the drop we had from 160 kWh to 11 kWh, it is scary how much power we were using and we didn’t even know it.
Phantom Load is the power drain that happens from equipment that you aren’t using. For example, we only watch TV maybe twice a week, yet the TV, the satellite receiver and the VCR/DVD player are still using electricity, even if they don’t appear to be. It’s almost like they are on ‘stand-by’. If you are not sure whether or not they are on, here are a couple of ways to check it out… If you use a remote to turn any of them on/off, they are drawing power to stay on ‘alert’. Also, if they power up immediately, then that also means that they are drawing a Phantom Load.
So, how do you remove these Phantom Loads? Put all of the plugs for these types of devices onto a power strip/surge protector. Flip off the power strip when you are not using the equipment and voila, no more power drain. There are also power strips available at your local hardware store that have timers incorporated (and that require minimal power) that will shut off the entire power strip when you are at work or at night, making it easy for you to reduce Phantom Load.
Here are some household items you may want to put on power strips (and shut off) or unplug when not in use:
-computers/laptops
-printers/faxes
-microwaves
-radio/alarm clocks in guest rooms
-air fresheners you plug in (these are highly toxic anyway)
-stereos with LCD or any other light type display that is on, even when you are not using it
-coffee makers
-anything with display lights
Another unnecessary and huge power draw comes from transformers. Those are the little black boxes with cords attached to your printer, answering machine, etc that convert the 120 volt power you have coming from your house to the equipment it is attached to. Typically your equipment only needs 2-14 volts, so the job of the transformer is to ‘transform’ the electricity to the voltage that the equipment needs. Even when your device isn’t turned on, the transformer is working to manage the flow of electricity (if it is warm – generating heat – then it is using and wasting electricity). Put all of these types of devices onto power strips too, and shut the strip off when you aren’t using the device.
Looking for even more ways to cut back? My husband, Jeff, created an e-book called 101 Ways to Help the Environment. He has captured a lot of what we have implemented in a very straight-forward and organized guide. He has also linked many of the ideas to web-based resources so you can obtain more information about ‘how to’. Good luck with your energy conservation efforts!
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