• ExcessShiv@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 days ago

    Key thing here being that they’re old…there are limits to how much power electrical equipment is allowed to consume in standby mode (at least in the EU) today, it’s not allowed to consume more than 0.5W in standby mode, 0.8W if it has a status display.

    • hendrik@palaver.p3x.de
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      3 days ago

      Yes, that’s why I say it doesn’t generalize. They mention this in the article. These old power bricks from the 90s with a heavy copper transformer inside waste a lot of power on standby compared to the modern switch-mode power supplies. But times have changed. On the flipside we have a lot more electronic gadgets these days and things in fact add up. So if you have modern things like 5 smart lightbulbs in the house, then a network switch, an internet router and a wifi extender, plus a few USB chargers at the bedside, the livingroom, a TV set with a PS4 and a soundbar plus subwoofer. A few LED strips in the gaming den… Then you might own a dishwasher and washing machine with wifi, the oven has a display, the microwave above yet another one, the cable TV has some booster in the basement… You’re likely paying more than a few cents for that. And the things which run unattended 24/7 for decades, buried somewhere, tend to not get replaced every few years, so you might still own a power brick from the 90s. So I’d say it’s worth looking into… I mean not super important, you can as well skip it and just pay the amount… But it’s a thing. And I mean if you’re unalike me and buy a new stereo every 10 years or so, that’s also not necessarity helping the environment, and they cost money. So it’s a bit complicated and a balance. At least I can somehow relate to the article, because the multi-outlet power strips behind the TV and my desk with the computer kind of look like the pictures there…