Let’s say I have a computer plugged in, or a microwave, or phone charger plugged in. Isn’t the point of a device being off is that it’s not supposed to be using electricity? How much watts of power am I looking at that’s being consumed per hour?
Where does this apply and where does it not? Shouldn’t I try to unplug everything as much as possible to save money?
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My PC monitor has a little red light which remains on even when my PC and monitor are “off”. This is a clear and observable example of how something which is powered off can still use electricity.
A less obvious example is something like an alarm clock. Even if you turn it off, when you turn it back on you will realize that it has accurately been able to keep time during the period in which it was powered off. Electricity is required in order for this to work.
As for kWh, I don’t have an exact answer because it varies, but I read that at most 10% of your energy bill comes from this “phantom energy.”
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