{{Short description|Type of residential energy consumption}} {{lead extra info|date=June 2023}} '''Home idle load''' is the continuous residential electric [[energy consumption]] as measured by [[smart meters]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1= Kwatra |first1= S. |last2= Amann |first2= J. |date= 2013 |title= Miscellaneous Energy Loads in Buildings |url= https://www.aceee.org/research-report/a133 |journal= American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy |access-date= 2017-03-01 |archive-date= 2017-01-29 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170129161700/http://aceee.org/research-report/a133 |url-status= live }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=R. Rajagopal|display-authors=etal |date= 2015 |title=VISDOM: Data Analytics Architecture for Load Management |journal= Stanford Sustainable Systems and Smart Grid Labs at Stanford University }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web |url=https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/home-idle-load-IP.pdf |title=Home Idle Load |website=NRDC |access-date=2017-03-01 |archive-date=2016-12-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201101818/https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/home-idle-load-IP.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> It differs from [[standby power]] (loads) in that it includes energy consumption by devices that cycle on and off within the hourly period of standard smart meters (such as [[fridge]]s, [[aquarium]] [[heater]]s, [[Wine accessory#Coolers|wine coolers]], etc.).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Borgeson |first1= S. |last2= Tan |first2= S.|date= 2015 |title=Learning from Hourly Household Energy Consumption: Extracting, Visualizing, and Interpreting Household Smart Meter Data |journal= Proceedings of the 2015 Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Conference, Los Angeles }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=B.A. |last2= Wong|first2=J. |date= 2012 |title=Simple Way to Use Interval Data to Segment Residential Customers for Energy Efficiency and Demand Response Program Targeting |journal= ACEEE Summer Study Proceedings |pages= 5–374–386}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nrdc.org/resources/home-idle-load-devices-wasting-huge-amounts-electricity-when-not-active-use |title=Home Idle Load: Devices Wasting Huge Amounts of Electricity When Not in Active Use |website=NRDC |date=14 July 2015 |access-date=2017-03-01 |archive-date=2017-03-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302025532/https://www.nrdc.org/resources/home-idle-load-devices-wasting-huge-amounts-electricity-when-not-active-use |url-status=live }}</ref> As such, home idle loads can be measured accurately by smart meters. As at 2014, home idle load constituted an average of 32% of household electricity consumption in the U.S.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kwac |first1= J. |last2= Flora |first2= J.|date= 2014 |title= Household Energy Consumption Segmentation Using Hourly Data |journal= IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid |volume= 5|issue= 1|pages= 420–430|doi= 10.1109/TSG.2013.2278477|bibcode= 2014ITSG....5..420K |s2cid= 33661350 }}</ref>
==Type of devices==
The primary categories of devices that contribute to Home Idle Load include: * [[Electronic device]]s that consume electricity while not being actively used (including televisions, [[game console]]s, [[digital picture frame]]s, etc.) * Home infrastructure devices (including analog [[thermostat]]s, [[doorbell]]s, telephones, [[clock]]s, [[GFCI]] [[Electrical outlet|outlet]]s, [[smoke alarm]]s, continuous hot water recirculation pumps, etc.). * Any type of device used to maintain a continuous temperature differential (including [[freezer]]s, [[icemaker]]s, [[refrigerator]]s, [[Wine accessory#Coolers|wine cooler]]s, [[terrarium]] [[heater]]s, heated floors, [[instant hot water dispenser]]s, etc.). Although such devices may need to stay on continuously, more recent models have proven to be more efficient and can result in considerably lower home idle loads.<ref>{{cite web |work = NRDC |title = Home Idle Load Action Guide |url = https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/home-idle-load-action-guide.pdf |access-date = 2017-03-05 |archive-date = 2017-03-06 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170306032941/https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/home-idle-load-action-guide.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref>
==Reducing home idle load==
Approaches to reduce home idle loads include: * Disabling electronic devices with [[standby power]] loads either manually (unplugging) or by managing [[power strip]]s (including smart [[power socket]] types) * Using a [[timer]] switch that stops electric consumption from devices when not in use * Using a smart power strip with a master outlet that manages electricity for multiple devices * Replacing older (or malfunctioning) devices with more efficient options<ref>{{cite journal |last1= Bensch |first1= I. |last2= Pigg |first2= S. |date= 2010 |title= Electricity Savings Opportunities for Home Electronics and Other Plug-In Devices in Minnesota Homes: A Technical and Behavioral Field Assessment |journal= Energy Center of Wisconsin }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1= Chetty |first1= M. |last2= Tran |first2= D |title= Proceedings of the 10th international conference on Ubiquitous computing |chapter= Getting to green: Understanding resource consumption in the home |date= 2008 |pages= 242–251 |doi= 10.1145/1409635.1409668 |isbn= 9781605581361 |s2cid= 22189106 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Electricity grid modernization}}
[[Category:Electricity]] [[Category:Energy conservation]] [[Category:Environmental impact of the energy industry]] [[Category:Electronics and the environment]] [[Category:Electric power]]