Interview with an (energy) vampire

By Darrell Greene, BROC Community Action GreenSavingSmart Financial & Energy Coach

Did you know vampires and phantoms visit your house each night while you sleep?

You don’t hear or see them, but they suck the energy from your home electronics and cost you money!

“Vampire energy drain,” also known as phantom energy leaching, happens when electronic devices continue to use energy when they are turned off or in standby mode. The worst offenders include televisions, satellite and cable boxes, stereos, DVDs/Blu Ray players, game consoles and garage door openers.

These devices can use a terrifying amount of energy!

Vampire energy drain can account for up to 20% of your electrical consumption– to find out what you could be spending, use the Energy Vampire Calculator at Duke-energy. Com.

Here are some tips to keep the vampires away -

• Shut down your PC/laptop (even in sleep mode, these may still draw up to 60 watts of electricity every night.

• Unplug your charger when not in use – older chargers in particular could cost you several dollars each day.

• Use power strips – especially for difficult to unplug appliances or other devices.

These strategies will reduce both energy costs and consumption, so everyone can sleep better at night.