Top 5 Vampire Appliances that Waste Your Energy

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Vampire electronics are the term used for household appliances that still use energy even when in standby mode or turned off. Here are some methods to reduce your electric bill by simply unplugging. Take a look at how to save energy used by vampire electronics.

  1. The T.V. Like most vampire electronics, the simplest way to save their energy, and help your wallet, is to unplug the device when not in use. Vampire electronics use your energy even when turned off, which means if you only watch T.V. for three hours a day, you’re wasting energy during the other 21 hours. A vampire T.V. can run up a charge of $150 per year, and a LCD screen is significantly better than a plasma screen, but they still waste some energy.
  2. Video Games. Your Playstation, Xbox, or Wii, can cost you up to $25 a year, which could be better spent buying another game. If it’s a hassle to unplug your game console then check to see if yours has a second “off” switch on the back of the box. The first “off” switch just puts the device in standby mode, which you can see by the glowing green light. The second “off” switch goes a step further and kills the power to the box.
  3. Laptop. Instead of leaving your laptop plugged in all day to charge the battery, unplug it while you’re gone and wait to charge it while you’re home. Your laptop still uses energy if it’s fully charged and plugged in. You could save around $15 a year using this method.
  4. DVD player. This appliance is probably used the least of those listed here, and could cost you $8 annually when it’s left plugged in when not in use. When you want to watch your weekly Saturday movie just plug it back in.
  5. Cell phone charger. These waste a small amount of energy, but every penny counts. They’re the easiest to unplug, and are useless without a cell phone, so keep it in a drawer until it’s needed.

Recognizing your vampire appliances is a small step that will help keep dollars in your wallet, but don’t forget the larger methods. Compare commercial energy suppliers in your area, and choose an electricity supplier like Star Energy Partners  that can lower your electricity rate and provide you other products and services to help you reduce energy consumption. A combination of all three help reduce your electric bill and you can put that money towards the latest new appliance, but just remember to unplug it!