Power drain - leaving household electrical appliances on leaks electric power - Brief Article

Science World, Jan 12, 1998 by Maria L. Chang

When you leave the house, do you turn off the TV? What about the clock radio or stereo? Don't bet on it. Many small appliances drain household electric power even after you switch them off. They're leaking! Electricity, that is.

Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California estimate that the average household constantly leaks 50 watts of electric power even when appliances are shut down. "That's about 5 percent of a home's monthly electricity use," says Alan Meier, a scientist at Berkeley Lab.

How do you halt the power drain? Plug your appliances into a power strip. Turn it on for power, and switch it off to stop leaking electricity and remove potential hazards like fires or shock.

How much electricity do your appliances waste? Check out the graph.