In article 6zeci.5552$O15.1004@trnddc03, M Q wrote:
Power Vampires are a significant problem. While each one
is (usually) not significant, altogether they can add up
to quite a bit. I have found that they can add up to
several hundred watts. "Kill-a-watt" can be quite useful
if you can guess where they all are and they are plug-in
devices. As you can see, not all plug in the wall. Here are some
idle power consumptions that I have measured:

Doorbell transformer 8 watts
cordless phones 4-9 watts
DirecTV receiver (off) 34 watts
TV (off) 17
Garage door opener 2.5
Fax machine 10
Gas furnace 20
Newer gas furnace 27
Central AC outdoor unit 20-40 watts (two different units)

Are these watts or volt-amps? Most of these sound high to me.

- Don Klipstein )