If you usually leave the TV on standby, we advise you not to do it anymore. You may think that the television as well as any other appliance does not consume energy in that situation. But it’s not like that.
We understand by standby applied to these devices to the usual situation in which we leave them connected but at rest. Therefore, it is logical that, when you see them turned off, you think that they do not use electricity. But on the other hand, since they remain connected, it is also normal that they continue to use energy. This is what is called phantom consumption.
Damages that ghost consumption brings to your teams
Keeping electronic equipment on standby is very comfortable. Because we have the possibility of doing it with the remote controls of each one. Thus, we do not need to get up to turn them off. But it supposes as we said, an added electricity expense since they are still connected. In addition, it is not the only damage it has for them.
It is true that electronic devices consume less energy when they remain in that situation than while they are turned on. Logically, since they are not performing their function, they spend a basic amount of electricity. But surely this is more than you imagine.
This is proven by a study conducted in England. This determined that appliances on standby consume 8% of the amount of energy they require when they are on. Therefore, calculate what that percentage means with respect to your electricity bill and do the accounts of what you could save.
But, also, think what that 8% of kilowatts represents applied to all the electronic devices on the planet. You will agree with us that such an amount of wasted energy has to do enormous damage to the environment.
And there is still another harm derived from this custom. Standby appliances remain in operation. Therefore, they are spending money and shortening their useful life. In other words, the habit of not turning off the equipment accelerates its aging.
Such is the magnitude of the problem that the European regulations, defended by the EEA, have tightened in this regard. It now mandates that these devices cannot consume more than 2 watts when idle.
However, older equipment consumes much more, specifically between 8 and 15 depending on the device in question. Consequently, either you decide to renew all your appliances, or you will have to find other solutions. Do you know how much your household appliances consume?
How to avoid this consumption without having to get up to turn off the equipment?
Currently, there are some devices on the market that allow you to eliminate the cost of standby without having to go through the inconvenience of getting up to turn off the equipment. One of them is the automatic standby eliminator.
For it to work, you must have the equipment plugged into a special power strip. When you turn them off with their own remote, this eliminator detects low consumption and, in turn, interrupts the power supply.
In the same way, when you turn on one of these pieces of equipment with the remote, the device picks it up and reopens the flow of electricity to the appliances.
The so-called smart power strips have a similar operation. They are mainly used for the computer and its peripherals (speakers, printer, etc.). When you don’t use the computer, it detects low consumption and automatically disconnects all the devices plugged into them. It is a somewhat less complete solution than the previous system, but it will also be very effective.
In conclusion, we advise you not to leave the TV on standby or any other appliance again. Although it is more comfortable for you, you will be wasting energy, spending more money, and polluting the environment. What are you waiting for to solve it?