Many types of home electronic equipment draw electric power when switched off or not performing their principal functions. Standby power use (or "leaking electricity") for most appliances ranges from 1-20 watts. Even though standby use of each device is small, the combined standby power use of all appliances in a home can easily exceed 50 watts. Leaking electricity is already responsible for 5 to 10 percent of residential electricity use in the United states and over 10 percent in Jpan. An increasing number of white goods also have standby power requirements. There is a growing international effort to limit standby power to around one watt per device. New and existing technologies are available to meet this target at little or no extra cost.
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