In ,
keith wrote:

On May 17, 8:53*pm, Glenda Copeland gscopel...@Use-Author-Supplied-
Address.invalid wrote:
Just bought a dozen Leviton decora single pole 15A 120VAC lighted rocker
switches (model 5611, aka model 105-05611-21S).

Nothing on the box says how much power each of the lighted bulb uses when
the switch is in the off position.

Do you know how much power a lighted switch uses?

It's likely either an NE2 or an NE2H, which a quick web search shows
are rated for .03W and .09W, respectively. The right answer is
"fagetabooutit".

Some sort of spec sheet for several neon lamps, including NE-2H, by CML
Technologies (formerly Chicago Miniature Lamps):

http://www.cml-it.com/pdf/5-4.pdf

Design current of NE-2H is 1.9 milliamps. Multiply that by 120V and
the result is .23 watt.

In Philadelphia and nearby suburbs in Pennsylvania, that currently
amounts to 28-29 or so cents per year, likely to go up at least 10% in
January 2011, assuming 24 hour per day operation. (USA national average
would be more like 22 cents now.)

This does sound small. However, I would rather consider how much that
adds up to over the life of the neon lamp, knock it down slightly due to
paying-later while investments likely have rate-of-return exceeding
inflation in electricity cost, and consider it to be part of the switch.
Would you still buy the switch at that rate?

--
- Don Klipstein )