If you think you’re conserving energy when you switch off the lights or your appliances think again. Many of the common household electrical items today have a default stand-by mode. With this, even though they are switched off, they continue to draw what are known as phantom loads (PL).
Some common instances of phantom loads are:
- Clock mode for Stereos or DVD players
- Blinking lights on any electronic item
- Sleep or stand-by mode for computers
Basically any stand-by mode of any electric device draws energy from the outlet. The only way to avoid phantom loads is to unplug the device all together.
If you don’t like the inconvenience of having to plug in and out from the outlet, you can use an extension cord with a number of female plugs. By switching off the extension alone, you cut off the power supply from the outlet to your electrical devices.
