Don’t leave your TV, DVD or computer on the stand-by mode. They will still be consuming power if you do so.
Due to this invisible waste of power, called ‘ghost consumption’, and inefficient use of energy devices, the city is losing 15 million units of electricity every month.
As the city braces for an early summer, students prepare for exams amid fears of more power disruptions. Though the state is aiming to generate 8,100-MW power in the next five years, experts want the government to focus on reducing ‘ghost consumption’ of power. Sunil Sood, president of Indian Association of Energy Management Professionals (IAEMP), said if people use remote controls to switch off gadgets such as televisions, DVDs and sound systems without switching off the mains, the gadgets will consume 6 watts per hour. If left without switching off the mains, this may account for at least 100 Watt/hr of electricity which means three units per month.
The best way to conserve energy is to reduce ghost consumption of power, he said, adding that the stand-by consumers (phantom loads or ghost consumers) account for as much as 10% of the total electricity consumption.
“The city is losing 15 million units of power every month through invisible waste of power and its inefficient use,” Sood said.
The IAEMP, a voluntary organisation of energy experts, has named such wastage of energy as `ghost consumption’ to drive home a point that the consumption is taking place invisibly.
Stressing the need to tackle power shortage, Anusha Chakravarthy, a student of MS Ramiah College, said: “During summer every year, power goes off abruptly. It is difficult, especially during the last three to four days before the exams. We can’t revise our papers. We have to take precautionary measures by saving power.” Consumers waste power by using inefficient electrical goods. Even the zero-watt bulbs consumes 9-15 watt per hour. The UPS of your computer, in the stand-by mode, consumes 9 watt.
“In such cases, people should adopt power setting system to conserve power. If power setting system is used, the CPU will be switched off automatically,” he said.
The ordinary regulator of the ceiling fan consumes 45 watts of power but an electronic regulator will consume only about 18 watts.
JD Krupakar, chairman of Electrical Consultants’ Association, said: “It is important to adopt energy-efficient products at home. The investment on these products might be
high. But it would help in the long run.”
