'Phantom power' costs not invisible

They materialize on your bill

"Phantom power" – electricity that is being used even though most people don't realize it – wastes enormous amounts of energy and driving up electricity bills nationwide, many experts say.

One is Rural Utilities Service Administrator Jim Andrew. Andrew, who also served on the board of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association from 1988 to 2004, points to estimates that show between 5 to 10 percent of an average consumer's electric bill is consumed by phantom power devices.

"When you turn off your TV, there are circuits that don't (turn off) so you can have instant on," Andrew recently told a gathering of electric co-op leaders. "Your cell phone charger – even when your cell phone is not plugged in – uses up to 45 watts of power."

Andrew praised electric co-ops for helping consumer-members use energy wisely. He noted that many co-ops nationwide have urged their members to ditch their old incandescent bulbs and use compact fluorescent bulbs.

Source: Electric Co-op Today

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