viper load
n.— «Turning equipment off at the end of the day or when not in use. Most equipment and appliances keep a constant energy load so that they don’t have to warm up when they are turned on. This is often called a “phantom” or “viper” load and can add up to hundreds of dollars a year for a small office or store.» —“Small businesses can save energy with simple steps” Noblesville County Times (Indiana) Mar. 7, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Enthusiastic book recommendations! Martha’s savoring the biography of Alexander von Humboldt, the 19th-century explorer, polymath, and naturalist who revolutionized our understanding of nature and predicted the effects of human activity on...
A documentary film called My Beautiful Stutter follows youngsters at a summer camp specifically for stutterers. It’s a place for finding acceptance, support, and confidence for navigating the larger world. And:, “The High Priestess of...