Nowadays, the use of household appliances has become essential to facilitate most daily activities, such as washing, cooking or cleaning. These devices, which have transformed domestic life, continue to evolve to improve people’s quality of life and optimize time by facilitating daily activities.
However, one of the lesser-known effects of the growth of these devices is their impact on energy consumption. Many consumers are unaware that some appliances continue to consume electricity even when they are turned off. This phenomenon, known as standby consumption, or phantom consumption, occurs when devices remain connected to the mains without performing any visible function.
Below are the three appliances that consume the most energy in standby mode, according to an analysis carried out by artificial intelligence, which investigates the reasons behind this phenomenon.
The television
Even when the TV is switched off, the most modern models, especially flat-screen TVs, continue to consume electricity. This consumption is due to the fact that many devices remain in standby mode, waiting for a signal from the remote control to turn on. Furthermore, smart TVs remain connected to the Internet to receive updates and notifications, which increases their energy consumption even when they are not in use.
The battery charger of electronic devices
The chargers for cell phones, tablets and other devices are another example of appliances that continue to consume energy even when they are not charging any device. Many people tend to leave the chargers connected to the mains without using them, which generates an unnecessary waste of resources.
This phenomenon, known as “phantom load”, occurs because the charger continues to receive energy from the mains, even if it is not connected to any device. Even if the consumption of a battery charger is low (generally between 0.1 and 0.5 watts in standby), if you add up all the chargers in a house and the time they remain connected, the impact can be considerable.
Desktop PC
Many users don’t know that even when the screen and CPU of a desktop computer are turned off, some internal components, such as the motherboard and power supply, continue to receive power. This happens because, in most cases, the power supply remains connected to the mains even when the device is not in use.
Energy consumption can vary depending on the model, but generally ranges between 2 and 10 watts per day. Although this consumption may seem insignificant, if the device remains off for many hours, the annual impact can be significant.
To avoid these consequences, it is advisable to disconnect the PC from the power supply when not in use, or to use a circuit breaker to completely cut off the power supply.
Even if switched off, household appliances do not appear to be in operation, but they continue to consume electricity without generating any tangible benefits. With small adjustments to daily habits, it is possible to contribute to a more efficient use of energy and reduce unnecessary waste.
