The physicist named devices that consume electricity even when turned off.

Even when the equipment is not working, but is simply plugged into an outlet, it can imperceptibly consume electricity, this phenomenon is called phantom consumption. Arseniy Buryakov, a senior researcher at the Laboratory of Physics of Neuromorphic Computing Systems at RTU MIREA, announced this on Wednesday, May 7. He named devices that continue to consume electricity even when turned off.

According to the expert, most modern devices do not turn off completely, but go into standby mode. He explained that this is necessary to quickly turn on, maintain a network connection, or save settings. Buryakov clarified that phantom consumption is especially noticeable in media technology.

"Modern TVs, especially Smart TVs, can spend from 0.5 to 3 watts even when turned off. They maintain an Internet connection, update the firmware and wait for a signal from the remote control. Game consoles consume 10-23 watts in standby mode, especially if updates are still being downloaded. Music centers and AV receivers in sleep mode usually consume from 0.1 to 2 watts, depending on the availability of network functions," the physicist said in an interview with Lenta.Ru .

Buryakov added that network devices are another significant source of hidden energy consumption. So, routers operating around the clock use 5-20 watts, and network data warehouses (NAS), even in idle time, can spend 5-15 watts for energy-efficient models and up to 30-40 watts for more powerful devices, IA Regnum reports.

Coffee machines (about 1 watt) and ovens and microwaves with electronic displays (1-3 watts) become hidden consumers of electricity in the kitchen. Air conditioners and heaters with a remote control also do not turn off completely — their sensors require constant power supply, which adds another 0.5-3 watts in standby mode, the specialist warned.

Buryakov also noted premium chargers that can consume up to 3 watts due to complex stabilization schemes, smart speakers (2-5 watts for constant listening to the environment) and electric heated towel rails (10-15 watts) among the less "eaters" of energy.

To reduce unnecessary expenses, the physicist advised developing the habit of pulling out chargers when they are not in use, or connecting a TV and other equipment to an extension cord with a power off button. The router can be turned off at night if it is not needed. Smart sockets with a timer also help to control consumption. In addition, when buying new equipment, he urged to pay attention to the energy efficiency class.

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In turn, Viktor Fedoruk, an expert on housing law and housing and communal services reform of the all-Russian public movement for Human Rights, said that heating devices consume the most electricity: an electric stove, an electric kettle, heaters, irons. You won't be able to save money on them, but you can replace incandescent lamps with energy-saving LED ones. 360.ru .

Earlier, on February 19, Kristina Vishnevetskaya, Director of business Development at Ippon, told Izvestia that in order to protect herself from an unexpected power outage, it is necessary to use various ways to obtain and store additional, backup electricity.

She clarified that one of these methods is an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), a device that protects electrical equipment from interruptions and problems in the power supply network. UPS helps to prevent the loss of important data or to avoid damage to expensive equipment in the event of network failures, the expert explained.