Phantom Energy

October 28, 2008

It's the season of phantoms, goblins and ghosts, but another type of phantom looms around homes throughout all seasons, and the cost to residents add up to hundreds of dollars a year. It's referred to as "phantom" energy because it's rarely seen, heard, or noticed. Yet many appliances, gadgets and machinery around the home quietly continue using electricity, even when they are not turned on. And that adds up to a higher electric bill that can be reduced through a few simple steps. 

However, people can't fix something they don't know about. And that's where the new animated, Halloween-themed aps.com Web site comes in. Geared toward teaching kids and adults about these energy zappers, the interactive feature shows what appliances gadgets and other electrical items inside a virtual home are needlessly causing electrical usage to increase and what those "phantoms" are costing the consumer.

"The Web feature is designed to be fun and informative about a serious issue: the loss of electricity that is causing customer energy usage to rise, needlessly costing them money," said Donald Case, Web Manager for aps.com. "The savings may seem small at first, but add them all up, month after month and year after year, and they're substantial."

A look at the aps.com Web site reveals that energy phantoms are everywhere. Selecting any number of appliances inside a virtual home brings pop-ups that show monetary savings. For example:  

• Computers, even in sleep mode, can cost about $12 a year.
• Leaving a rechargeable power tool in its dock could cost $2 to $5 a year, even when the device is not actively charging.
• All those electric toothbrush and cell phone chargers each cost between $1.50 and $2 each a year.

There are ways to "tame" some of the phantoms. Case suggests grouping appliances that don't need to remain on at all times by placing them on one power strip. Turning off the entire strip until one appliance is needed is simple and smart, he said.

The Web site also points out some energy phantoms you should leave alone, such as keeping your cable and satellite equipment plugged in as they store programmed information.  

"You might not want to eliminate every phantom energy source, but there are several you can do something about with simple and low-cost strategies" said Case. "Whether you choose to tame them or let them be, it's good to be aware of the phantoms lurking in your home."

For more information on phantom energy, customers should visit www.aps.com/phantom.

APS, Arizona's largest and longest-serving electric utility, serves about 1.1 million customers in 11 of the state's 15 counties. In 2008, APS won its second Edison Award in recognition of innovative leadership and operational excellence in the electric industry. Given annually by the Edison Electric Institute, the Edison Award is considered the industry's most prestigious honor. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).

Maria Arellano, APS Media
(602) 250-3155