Random Ramblings

From Ed Nisley at Dr. Dobbs Journal:

"Here's a useful number: with electricity priced at $0.12 per kilowatt-hour, an always-on device dissipating 1 watt costs $1 per year. That wall-wart cell-phone charger that you leave plugged in under your desk costs $5 per year and your fancy LCD panel burns $8 a year when it's turned off."

Note that the main issue is if the power transformer is "before" or "after" the power-off switch. Many flat panels have external power supplies (the big black box that is in-line with the power cord), as do many other devices. These consume some amount of power whenever they are plugged in ... Need proof? Touch one. If it's warm or hot to the touch, then electricity must be going through it.