Q: What is 'standby power'?- When electrical appliances are turned on at the wall, but are not actually operating, they could still be using electricity called standby power. For instance, if computer equipment such as your PC, printer, and scanner are always switched on at the wall, they are constantly using small amounts of standby power, even while you are not using them.
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Q: Do all appliances use standby power?- No, but many do. Today, most household appliances have a built-in standby mode when they are not operating, that uses low levels of power. You can see an appliance is using standby power, if a small light or time display stays on when it is not being used. It is not only the light or timer that consumes standby power, but also some of the internal electronics.
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Q: Which appliances use the most standby power?For a list of household appliances, and an indication of the standby power they use, see the Appliances Standby Guide.
Some of the highest users of standby power are TVs - particularly large flat screens - and other types of home entertainment equipment. Computer equipment, telephones, office equipment and monitoring devices can also use large amounts of standby power.
Think about all your entertainment equipment using standby power - this might include a TV, set-top box, DVD or video player, CD player, hard drive, amplifier and speaker system in your home. If they are using standby power day and night, the cost to you and the environment can start to mount up. All caused by appliances that are not even being used.
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Q: Is there any easy way to save energy, money and greenhouse gas emissions?- Yes, there is a simply way to save money and help the environment. Just switch off electrical equipment at the wall when you are not using it. If you are buying a new appliance, look for one that switches off completely, or features low wattage standby.
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Q: Are there any appliances that I should not turn off?- Yes, there are a few. You should no turn off smoke detectors or security alarms for safety reasons. And it is a good idea to leave along time-controlled equipment like reticulation systems. For convenience, you might not switch off alarm clocks or programmed TV recorders that would lose their settings when you turn them off.
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Q: What are the advantages of turning power off at the wall?The instant you switch off, your appliances use less power - and that in turn saves you money, which can really add up over time.
Using less power is also good for the environment. Keep in mind that feeding power to appliances on standby produces greenhouse gas emissions - a major cause of global warming.
There are also safety reasons for switching appliances off at the wall, particularly when there are children around. Just a flick of the switch could prevent a child from receiving burns, or an electric shock.
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Q: How much can I save by switching appliances off at the wall?- The amount of money you can save depends on the type of number of appliances you are using. To give you an idea, a typical Australian home wastes about 10% of their total power (and energy bill) keeping appliances on standby. Why pay for what you are not using? Just by getting into the habit of switching off appliances at the wall, you can do something to help your bank balance and the environment.
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Q: How do I know if I am on 'time-of-use' pricing?You can check your bill to see if you are on a 'time-of-use' tariff. Your tariff is shown on the back of your bill, under Usage Calculations, and if it is listed as SM1 (SmartPower), B1, R1, R3, S1 or T1, you are on 'time-of-use' pricing.
If you are on 'time-of-use' pricing, you should also be using a compatible meter, such as a Synergy SmartPower meter. These meters measure both the energy you use, and what time of the day you are using it.
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