On Monday, May 9, 2016 at 9:55:00 AM UTC-4, Bob Engelhardt wrote:

"About a quarter of all residential energy consumption is used on
devices in idle power mode ..." If you exclude air conditioners,
clothes dryers, and electric stoves.

YIKES!

I could put everything on a power-strip and shut everything down dead when not in actual use. BUT:

a) I would have to reprogram the presets on two tuners.
b) I would have to reset/reprogram the plasma TV from "sales-all-bright" mode to normal operating mode with each turn-on.
c) I would have to re-sync the multi-device remote - about a 10 minute ordeal.
d) I would have to reprogram the DVR.
e) Reset the clocks on the stove & microwave.
f) Let the vintage AR electronics and Dynaco PAT-5 "warm up" for about 15 seconds before allowing any sound through.

And, here is the grand total of the savings:

a) Two tuners "off": 3 watts
b) Plasma TV: 5 watts
c) DVR: 15 watts
d) Stove & Microwave: 5 watts
e) AR amp & Receiver: 6 watts
f) PAT-5: 2 watts

36 watts. x 24 x 365 = 315,360/1000 = 315 kw. x $0.14 = $44.16/12 = $3.68 per month.

Most well designed switching power-supplies draw very little current when not in use. Vanishingly little.

Nor can we send our surplus power to Chad, as it happens.

Keep in mind that when we use devices such as a laptop or other battery- based items, the net use is pretty much the same whether we allow the battery to discharge between uses or not.

Peter Wieck
Melrose Park, PA