On Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:58:51 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:

On Nov 23, 7:45?pm, Dave Garland wrote:
Bill wrote:
Seems to me someone wants everyone to be using more electricity!

It's not that no problem exists. ?You've said that you've *saved* over
$120/mo in electricity (more than twice as much as my entire electric
bill!). ?Clearly somewhere in your house there are things pulling
massive amounts of power.

What most of us are saying is that things like doorbell transformers and
wall warts don't consume enough electricity to be significant in this.
? Now, unplugging unused wall warts isn't a bad idea. ?I've got most of
the ones I use to recharge batteries plugged into an outlet strip, and
only turn it on when I'm recharging something. ?But I don't know if I'm
recouping enough money to pay for the (cheap) outlet strip. ?Where you
need to look is 1) things that make heat (esp. electric heaters,
furnaces, stoves, and water heaters, for the most part stuff like hair
driers, coffee makers, waffle irons, etc. aren't turned on for long
enough to be of major significance if you're not living in a restaurant
or hair salon), 2) things with powerful electric motors (A/C, heat
pumps, dehumidifiers, blowers, refrigerators and freezers), and 3)
incandescent (including halogen) bulbs that are on for long periods.
Pretty much in that order. ?Those things are where your payback can be
real, and large.

Dave

the outlet strip likely has a power on light of some sort wasting
power when its on..

individually the amount wasted is likely small, however nationwide for
everyone it must add up and waste is waste.....

given global change and energy costs the less waste the better.

and my retired engineer pointed out things can be more efficent if you
design it this way.

its governments job to encourage efficency.


But how do you control it when 95%+ of the crap consuming the
"phantom" power is made in China? They don't play by the US's rules.