Phantom energy and vampire losses. Unused electrical appliances are a problem not only for the wallet, but also for planetary ecology.
Even when switched off, red or blue lights or green numbers of digital displays can be seen on appliances in the household. Usually, it's a signal of some standby mode, or in Czech, states of readiness. Although it's a fraction of the energy consumed in the household, on a global scale, it can account for a substantial amount of energy consumed that never had to be produced and its carbon footprint didn't have to be dealt with. This consumption is increasingly being referred to as phantom or vampire energy.
Even seemingly switched off electrical appliances consume electrical energy. This energy then flows through the entire household all night or, in case of leaving for a weekend or holiday, calmly for several days, without anybody needing it. Although it's only a few watts per hour, these accumulate over long periods of time.
In the Czech Republic, there has been a lot of talk about these phantom or vampire energies with the sudden rise in energy prices caused by the COVID crisis and particularly the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which disrupted the infrastructure of fossil fuel transport, which still accounts for just under half of the electricity produced in the Czech Republic (37% then produced by nuclear power plants, 14% by renewable sources), but also accounts for 95% of greenhouse gas emissions from this industrial sector in the Czech Republic.
Discussions concerning the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions within electricity production often primarily focus on energy sources that do not produce greenhouse gases.
"Compared to 2022, emissions fell by a full 15%. In absolute numbers, this represents a reduction of 17.5 million tons. This is the largest drop in emissions since the beginning of the 90s of the 20th century, we have gotten below the threshold of 100 million tons for the first time. Now we must ensure that this is not just a temporary fluctuation, but a permanent trend in decarbonization of the energy sector and the entire economy, without negative impacts on competitiveness and inhabitants. This should primarily be helped by the continuation of successfully launched subsidy programs and new measures to accelerate the development of renewable energy sources and energy savings,”
For example, Petr Hladík, the Minister of Environment (KDU-ČSL), stated at the beginning of the year.
The Czech Republic, in this respect, follows the global trend in decreasing production of carbon emissions. In other words, this year was the first one globally when these emissions did not rise.
The cheapest thing is what is not consumed
“Just take a little step of unplugging the things that you’re not using,” said Charron. “It will save you money and it’ll save emissions in the long run. Do you really need your microwave to tell you the time, or can you unplug your microwave when you’re not using it?”
