The state where a electronical device is neither on nor off is what we call standby mode. An example is when your phone’s charger is plugged in while the phone is fully charged. Or when a TV is plugged in and switched off - and a display or light is still on.
We have so many electronic devices in our home that are constantly drawing power even when they are not in use. This can be hard to see with the naked eye, and therefore not something we think about or notice.
As much as 30-40% of the power consumed by electronic devices during their lifetime is in standby mode. In regards of the general household consumption, about 10% of what is consumed is in standby mode.
Here's how you can reduce your standby consumption of electricity:
- Branch outlet
Connect electronic devices to a power strip. PAC's branch outlet makes this even easier as the cable lights up when any devices connecting to it are consuming electricity, so you can instantly see where you need to switch off. Simply turn off the whole power strip when you're not using the devices connected to it! Instead of running around unplugging them all, you can turn off multiple devices in one place.
- Disconnect the charging cable when your device is fully charged
It's easy to leave charging cables in, even after your device is fully charged. This is exactly where standby consumption happens. Often it may simply be because you don't keep track of when your device has finished charging. That's when our visible power charging cables make it easier, as you can see from a distance when the device is fully charged. When the light stops flowing and the cable goes out – you’ll know it's time to disconnect.
- Skip sleep modes
It's best to turn off devices completely when they're not in use, rather than putting them into sleep mode. For example, a computer that is put into sleep mode continues to consume electricity. To further optimise, you can activate power saving modes on computers and phones to reduce consumption even when they are in use.
- Electricity meters
Buy an electricity meter and you will be able to read exactly how much your devices are consuming. That way you can see where more is being drawn and where it's especially important to try to reduce consumption.
Good luck!