California
has set new efficiency standards for battery chargers, some of which
can waste as much as 60% of the electricity they consume, officials say.
The California Energy Commission voted last week to approve
first-in-the-nation efficiency standards targeting about 170 million
so-called vampire charging systems that waste much of the electrical
energy they suck from outlets. The average California home has 11 of the
chargers – dubbed “vampires” by energy experts because they
continuously draw small amounts of power from the grid when they’re
plugged into the wall, even if no device is connected to the charger or
the device is attached but turned off. Although strongly opposed by
appliance and consumer products manufacturers, the regulations are
expected to save enough electricity to power 350,000 homes and cut an
estimated $306 million from residential and commercial electric bills
each year, the commission said.