What Is Standby Power?

Power to the people! Oh, you thought we were talking about electricity. Well, we are, kind of. But the "power" we're talking about here is not what you think. We're talking about standby power. That's the electricity your appliances and devices use when turned off—but still plugged in and ready to go at a moment's notice. The average American household uses $100 yearly on standby power, and that's just the average! Standby power is the energy your appliances are sucking up while you're not even looking. They use the power to keep themselves primed and ready to go so that when you need them, they're ready for action. Standby power is a significant drain on your wallet and your environment—so much so that some countries have banned it altogether. By switching to energy-efficient appliances, you can reduce your total energy consumption by up to 40%! You're probably familiar with the concept of standby power. But what is it, and why should you care? To put it simply, standby power is the electricity your appliances and devices use when they're not in use. That means that even if your television isn't turned on, or if your computer is closed, or if you haven't picked up the phone in a while—they're still drawing energy from the outlet. And that's not good for our planet! We all know that we need to be more energy-conscious these days. If we keep using energy without thinking about where it comes from or how much we use, we'll never get ahead of climate change and other environmental issues. So, what can you do? Unplug! Unplug all of your appliances (except those that need to stay plugged in) when they aren't being used. The less energy they consume, the better off we'll all be!