Question: I (with the help of an HVAC professional) installed a ductless, split system. It's a 24,000 BTU, single head system. What surprised me is how much energy (relative to everything else in the house) it uses while in the off/stand-by mode.

It's on a dedicated circuit, and I calculated using my Aeotec Home Energy Monitor that it's continuously using about 130 W with no visible operation. The head/air handler is "off", no noise from the compressor, compressor fan is not moving, etc. 

Is this common for systems to use this much energy in stand-by or does it indicate something may be wrong with the wiring or connections?

Additional notes: 

1. My system doesn't make an off/standby distinction. There is just an off button on the remote. I use the terms interchangeably b/c while it is "off" it is still drawing 130 W of power.
2. The home energy monitor uses clamps (one on each incoming 120V main line). I know it's ~ 130 W by monitoring the usage for 5 min, throwing the 2 pole breaker for the A/C, calculating the diff, and then turning it back on to verify. It appears to be fairly accurate for other circuits that I've tested (e.g. ~15 W for an LED lamp, < 1 W for an in-panel surge protector, ~60-70 W for the fridge, spikes +1000 W for the microwave, etc.)

[![Home Energy Monitor Report](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZsWXB.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZsWXB.png)

Answer: 
Your unit is probably a Heat Pump. I sell these and I'm not aware of any companies that still sell a/c only units since the cost difference was minimal they have been phased out. So being a heat pump it would have a crankcase heater either under or wrapped around the compressor. As long as the main power switch is on the heater will be energized whenever the compressor is off. That is to keep the oil in the system liquid so it can mix with the refrigerant gas when in operation. It is a resistance type heater so the wattage seems reasonable.
My Mitsubishi mini splits use .75 kwh each when "off". When you are only allotted 22 kw per day, they severely eat in to my allotment.
I have to turn the breakers completely off, or I go over my "allowed" consumption.