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
In 1916, a small-town newspaper in Pennsylvania printed a fanciful item about a local gathering with a guest list that included, among others, Miss Ella Vader, Mr. Ray Zor, and other punny names. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of...
Do you refer to nighttime sleepwear as jammies, jommies, or something else? A Nashville, Tennessee, woman says that her family referred to pajamas as jommies, while her husband’s family always called them jammies. Although jammies is the far more...