I just found out my 'green' power strip was a phantom load monster

I bought a fancy surge protector with a master switch years ago to cut power to my home office gear. I thought it was a smart move. Last week, I borrowed a simple plug-in power meter from a friend. The strip itself, when 'off', was still drawing 8 watts just to keep its little light on. That's about 70 kilowatt-hours a year for a box that does nothing. I've been paying to power a tiny red LED for half a decade. What other 'energy saving' gadgets are actually making the problem worse?

3 comments

3 Comments

kevint473d ago

My old "smart" thermostat had a similar issue. It was pulling 5 watts just to run its basic Wi-Fi connection. That little screen and constant network ping really adds up over a year.

skyler_kelly693d ago

Wait, EIGHT watts just for the light? That's crazy! My old cable box used less than that on standby. I've heard some of those smart plugs can be bad too, if they have little screens or always-on radios. Makes you want to just unplug everything.

evan_grant703d ago

Yeah those little screens are sneaky. Got a basic plug with no display for the coffee maker, cuts it right off.