The Globe and Mail is reporting on a home owner who is saving $600 per year by cutting phantom power consumption. Seems power bars and OnPlugs are the way to go. Read the article here.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/personal-finance/pulling-the-plug-on-phantom-power-can-save-hundreds/article1898324/

Real Goods

Phantom power can be referred to as the electrical power consumed by household appliances and gadgets when plugged in a wall outlet and not performing a useful function. Many such devices keep on consuming electricity even if they are turned off. The consumption continues between uses because most of the appliances plugged in the wall outlet are not removed unless you want to replace them.You know when your TV is off but really its still on.

 

Also known as standby power, collective phantom power drawn from houses in the North America is approximately 8 gigawatts. This power is similar to the electricity production of 8 large power plants.

 

If you want to get rid of this problem and save money on your utility bills, remember to unplug or switch off devices from the power point once you stop using it. For instance, remove plugs of game console CDs, mobile chargers, video players, ovens from the socket to make sure that these devices don’t continue consuming energy.Or look into power strips with switches to enable convenient, switching off.

 

Even though the power drawn by electrical appliances in the standby mode is 0.5 to 5 watts every hour, it can add up if you consider all the usage of all devices in your house in one day. In the US, around 50 watts of standby power is consumed in an average house every hour.  

 

http://ezinearticles.com/?Beware-of-Phantom-Power-and-Conserve-Hard-Earned-Money-in-Your-Home&id=2207851

http://ezinearticles.com/?Phantom-Power-Loads-and-the-Environment&id=619059

The OnPlug Power Saver will begin shipping to retailers in March 2011. With a suggested retail price of $11.99, retailers can offer their customers an effective means to begin saving power. As a 'Power Bar for One' the OnPlug fits onto any household power outlet with a look that even the most detailed home designer would accept above the kitchen counter.

Its small size is one of the key benefits of use in areas where a power bar would be too large or look out of place. The small size also allows two OnPlugs to fit adjacent outlets on the same wall receptacle.