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The first thing you’re probably asking is ‘what the hell is phantom energy loss?’ Phantom energy loss is wasted energy from electronics or appliances that are off but in standby mode. Your TV, DVD player, cable box, and stereo system for instance, cause phantom energy loss. These items, even when off, require just a little bit of energy so they can receive a signal at all times for when you decide to grab your remote and turn them on. A device does not necessarily have to be remote-operated to incur phantom energy loss. Any type of wall charger you use for your cell or cordless phone also causes energy loss when plugged in, regardless of whether the phone is fully charged or even connected. The Union of Concerned Scientists offer these tips to fight phantom energy loss: (more…)

The Power-Save 1200 is a small box that attaches to your breaker panel and is designed to save you up to 25% on you electricity bill. It does this by storing energy that would be typically lost through use of air conditioning, dishwashers, washers and other household appliances which use inductive motors. They explain:

The technology applied by the Power-Save 1200™ Unit supplies that stored electricity back to your inductive loads, thus causing you to decrease your demand from the utility. If you decrease your demand from the utility, your meter slows down, and you use less electricity. The thought is, you’ve already paid for that electricity, why pay for it and waste it when you can pay for it, store it, and reuse it again. This whole process is called power factor optimization.

I am very curious to buy this device and see if it can really save me up to 25% on my monthly energy bill. Three factors weigh heavy in me wanting to try this product for myself: it is UL listed, recognized by the Department of Energy and was featured on WBAL Radio in Baltimore.