Get Rid of Energy Vampires!

Do vampires and phantoms haunt you? No, not the kind that lurk around your psyche or those two-fanged kind traditionally from Transylvania. We’re talking about the energy vampires and phantom loads that suck the energy from your home when your appliances are turned off but still plugged in.

It’s true: appliances that are plugged in continue to draw power even if they’re turned off.

The wasted energy that is sucked away by plugged in appliances and equipment is known as energy vampire or phantom energy loss. It represents a relatively small but growing percentage of home electricity waste. Untold millions of hard earned money is wasted every year by keeping appliances and electronics plugged in. Just think about the amount of carbon dioxide this releases into the atmosphere!

If you want to keep those energy-sucking ghouls at bay consider these simple tips:

* Unplug – Unplugging devices when they are not being used eliminates any energy loss. To save the time and hassle of unplugging all the components of a computer or other equipment, you could plug them into a power strip that can be turned off with a single switch.

Photo by Indy138. Leaving cords plugged in can drain energy

Leaving cords plugged in can drain energy!

* Check the label – When buying an appliance or electronic device, choose the model that uses the least standby power. Energy Star-labeled models are ideal because they use less energy for both regular and standby operation.

For more information about energy efficiency check the U.S. Department of Energy website (http://www.energy.gov/)