I recently eliminated my "always plugged in" grid apartment lighting (two 1.1 watt LED photocell controlled) and a Radio Shack plugin alarm clock. Using a Kill-A-Watt meter, the alarm clock uses 1 watt. My internet connection is direct 12v and off when not in use and I traded my desktop computer for a laptop (12v inverter runs the laptop adapter).
Now 1.1 watts times 2 for 14 hours a day plus 1 watt all the time doesn't sound like much, but here's the math.
1.1w x 2 x 14hr/day x 30 day/mo = 924 wh/mo The photocell must use some so round off to 1Kw-hr/mo for outside lighting.
The clock uses 1w x 24hr/day x 30 day/mo = 0.720 Kw/mo.
Between them all 1 3/4 Kw-hr/mo.
That may not seem like much but now consider the loads still on the grid. My eBike charger uses 1/7 Kw-hr to recharge after using battery power only to go about 5 miles (from home to the MickieD's at Sunset Strip and Univ Dr. and back). My Avanti compact washer uses 1/8 Kw-hr to run a full load for 45 minutes (cold water wash and double rinse plus spin dry).
The amount of energy my clock alone uses in the month would just about do 6 loads of wash or 5 trips for fast food.
The 2 lights would do another 8 loads of wash or 7 trips for fast food.
I actually do about 1 load of wash every 2 days because I work in a warehouse.
My meter also runs an irrigation pump when needed. It's 1 1/2 HP. That would run for an hour once a month on the phantom loads of an alarm clock and 2 one watt lights.
