Q. When Is Standby Power Close To Normal Power?

Discover Hidden Standby Power

The answer to this question is when the power rating is close to the normal operating power. Standby power is often far less than 10% of an appliance's normal power rating and is decreasing all the time due to changes in technology and design.

After testing a few older entertainment appliances for standby and normal power, we were amazed to see some older appliances almost using the same power in standby mode, as when the appliance is turned on in normal mode.

On testing a set top box for a normal power rating the reading was 10.92 watts +/- 0.5W. The standby power for this same appliance being 10.40 watts +/- 0.5W. The appliance in question with these results is the Homecast STB eM-1150.

It makes you wonder why the manufacturer even bothered adding a switch, when all it does is reduce the power rating by only a few percent.

As mentioned standby power can be anywhere from 10% or less of normal operating power. With recently released electrical appliances, this standby power has been reduced further due to the normal power ratings being reduced by design and technological improvements.

A lot of manufacturers are now offering an on/off switch to make sure there is 100% no standby power.

For more on the cost of hidden standby power, visit our STANDBY POWER page.

This blog post and podcast brought to you by Aussie Home Energy, a major player in the HOME ELECTRICITY SAVING SERVICE industry in Australia.

How Solar Power Reduces Electricity Costs Fast?

Currently in most states in Australia, Solar Power is an easy solution to reducing home or business electricity costs.

With NET METERING installed, your solar power plant will supply you with the electricity you use under the roof, during the sunny hours of the day virtually for FREE!

YES, when you generate electricity with your solar pv system and use it in real-time, you reduce your normal electricity costs fast.

So What Can You Save?

Maximum savings possible in New South Wales from a 2 kW solar system offsetting daytime 'sunny hour' electricity usage charged at 30 cents per unit, can result in approximate energy savings of $850 per year.

Now that is a possible $210 off each quarterly electricity bill!

By offsetting the electricity costs directly, you will further save more each year as the costs rise. This fact helping you to pay off your Solar Power System quicker!

When power generated by your Solar PV System is not used in real-time, it is fed back into the grid to further help reduce the cost of purchased electricity.

And if you really want to get your head around the power used, imported and exported then it would be a smart idea to install an electricity consumption and solar power monitoring solution. Where you have 24/7 realtime feedback with ongoing analysis, of both your electricity usage and solar pv system's output. 

Visit our ONLINE ELECTRICITY MONITORING page, where we make the task of getting your data online, very easy.

This blog post and podcast brought to you by Aussie Home Energy, a major player in the HOME ELECTRICITY REDUCTION SERVICE industry in Australia.

Could Big Business Be Paid To Reduce Electricity Output?

When the demand for peak electricity occurs, it can be very expensive for the electricity provider to meet this demand, in the short term.

Could we not pay large power users, to cut consumption during this time of demand?

The idea being here, to form a group of large peak demand businesses, whom are paid a fee. A fee to cut back their need for peak time electricity. Let us say on short term notice.

A large percentage of power is known to be generated to meet this small percentage, of large demand users.

Getting these businesses together and as a group reducing the overall demand considerably, has to be a move forward.

Where the electricity provider is then able to meet other demands on the grid satisfactorily at less cost. Where those big businesses with high demand are paid to save. Where funds received are put towards increasing efficiency and reducing the overall energy used at all times.