Energy “Vampires” are electronic devices that suck power even when they’re turned off. “Vampire” seems to be an appropriate term since these devices suck power with their “two teeth”, or, the prongs of the plug when placed in an outlet.
If you’re wondering whether wasted Vampire power is really a problem across the United States, then consider these facts: according to the EnergyStar website, televisions waste approximately 25% in Vampire power. VCR’s suck up about 30%, and cordless phones eat up a whopping 66%.
As far as your electric bill is concerned, if you have very many Vampires in your home that are sucking up power even when appliances are turned off, you can be spending approximately 10 – 20 percent more on your monthly bills than you need to. It’s estimated that the electricity that’s lost to Vampires in the United States is somewhere between $1 billion to $3.5 billion every year.
If you need further proof of this energy hog, turn off all of the lights in your home, then walk around and take a quick tour. You’ll see two dots on your microwave’s control panel, maybe an illuminated “on/off” button on your stereo, lit-up clock displays and probably many more tiny lights that use electric. Other energy Vampires are chargers, printers, cordless power tools, power adapters and low voltage transformers.
So, how can you become a Vampire Slayer and cut hidden energy costs in your home? It’s really pretty simple. Unplug electronic devices like microwaves, televisions, stereos and cell phone chargers when they’re not in use.