The Invisible Thief.
You can't see it, but it's there. What is it? It's Phantom Load, the electricity consumed by an electronic device when it's turned off but still plugged into an outlet. Most appliances that use electricity, such as TVs, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances, produce this type of waste. Consider all of the devices in your home or business that are constantly plugged in but only used occasionally. You can probably name more than a few items off the top of your head. While most consumers rarely think about this problem, you should. Chances are, Phantom Load is stealing money right out of your pocket on a daily basis. Even when your household appliances are turned off, they are still using energy—and costing you money.
Allow us to put this into perspective: the typical American home has approximately 40 appliances that are constantly drawing power even when they are not in use. According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), 75% percent of power supplied to home electronics is consumed when these appliances are powered off. Essentially, the meter is running even when the appliance is not. In fact, Phantom Load costs consumers in the U.S. a collective $43 billion a year. This equates to a lot of money lost and stolen power for homeowners. Large corporations are in even bigger trouble, as these numbers add up much faster.
How can we reduce our carbon footprint and stop Phantom Load from sucking billions of dollars worth of energy and money from our planet? The simplest solution is to unplug any and all electrical appliances when they are not in use—this includes everything from your microwave to your electrical toothbrush to your laptop computer. However, this solution isn't very practical, which is why we have developed the perfect solution: the LogicPlug.
