Why you should not leave devices plugged in when they're not in use?
Keeping devices plugged in drains energy, which is known as phantom energy. It also contributes to climate change. Here’s why you should unplug devices when not in use.
The lights are off, the house is quiet, and nothing seems to be running. Yet, electricity is silently flowing through the plugs in your home. This hidden drain is known as phantom energy, also called vampire energy. The wasted electricity comes from leaving devices plugged in when they're not in use. This can include household items like phone chargers, microwaves, TVs, and gaming consoles.
According to Alexis Abramson, dean of the Columbia Climate School, this wasted electricity accounts for about 5 to 10 percent of a home's energy use, depending on factors such as the age of the equipment.
"Phantom energy depends on... what kind of systems you have and how much they've improved over time," said Abramson.
For example, Matt Malinowski, director of the buildings program at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, notes that televisions connected to the internet with smart wake features can consume up to 40 watts of energy during the hours they would normally be off. This is almost 40 times as much as a regular television.
"The good news is there have been new, renewed efforts to tackle this," said Malinowski. He said advocates and manufacturers have come up with a voluntary agreement to reduce the amount of energy smart televisions use in standby mode.
Contributes to climate change
Phantom energy contributes to climate change because the power drawn by unused devices can increase the demand for electricity from sources that release planet-warming emissions.
Aidan Charron, associate director of Global Earth Day, said that while the amount may seem small on an individual utility bill, the environmental toll of phantom energy is significant when multiplied across homes throughout the country.
"Just take a little step of unplugging the things that you're not using," said Charron. "It will save you money and it'll save emissions in the long run".
What you can do
Some of the main culprits for draining energy are appliances that are constantly connected to electricity, such as those with a clock.
"Do you really need your microwave to tell you the time, or can you unplug it when you're not using it?" asked Charron.
While unplugging devices may seem burdensome, it significantly contributes to reducing emissions. Charron recommends starting with small steps, like unplugging phone chargers once the battery is fully charged. The next step is moving to other appliances, such as an unused lamp.
If unplugging seems too difficult, regularly checking your settings and disabling any extra features that could be draining energy can also help. For example, smart televisions often have optional features that can be turned off so the television isn't listening for signals from other devices while in standby mode.
"If you're not using it, then you're getting no benefit, yet you're paying the price and increasing the energy use," said Malinowski.
How individual actions can make a difference
Individuals also tend to take more sustainable actions, such as unplugging devices, once they learn what they can do to efficiently decrease their household emissions.
According to Jonathan Gilligan, a professor of earth and environmental science at Vanderbilt University, these actions could contribute to reducing U.S. emissions by about 20 percent per year, which equals about 450 tonnes (408 metric tonnes) of carbon dioxide.
The daily choices individuals make all add up, Gilligan said, primarily because of how much the U.S. population contributes to direct greenhouse gas emissions.
"The question becomes, what can we do to try to address this?" asked Gilligan. "Phantom power is one part of this".
The more individuals decrease their footprint, the more likely it is that others will follow. Eventually, those actions may become societal norms, according to Gilligan, because individuals don't want to feel irresponsible.
"This is a place where psychologists find that this effect is real. If people see that other people are taking actions to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, they want to do that too," said Gilligan.
When it comes to daily choices, individuals may think what they are doing isn't making a big difference. But what they tend to overlook is how they influence others around them by choosing to live a more sustainable life.
The impact may be much stronger than many people realise, Gilligan said.
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