Unplug vampire electronics
Earth Points10 
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Summary
Vampire electronics silently drain up to 20% of your electricity, even when turned off. Identify and unplug them, replace power strips, adjust computer settings, and prioritize energy-efficient purchases to save money and reduce climate pollution.
Description
Are you paying for energy that you are not using? Up to 20% of your electricity expenses go towards so-called Vampire Electronics. These are devices that consume electricity in standby mode, even when they are off. Some consume nearly as much energy as when they are turned on. The worst culprits are computers, televisions, modems, routers, surround sound systems and cable or satellite boxes.
Tips
Identify the likely vampires in your home. Look for devices that have remotes (devices waiting to be turned on), charge batteries, have a continuous LED display or have an external power supply.
Once you have identified the energy drains, here are five tips to reduce their impact:
1) Start replacing power strips with advanced power strips. They stop electronics from drawing power when they are off or not being used.
2) Unplug rarely used devices.
3) When a device is fully charged, unplug it. Leaving a phone or laptop plugged in after it is fully charged can reduce the life of the battery as well.
4) Adjust your computers and monitors to automatically power down to the lowest power mode when not in use.
5) Buy energy-efficient electronics and appliances. Include this in your buying criteria to lower the size of the idle drain.
Will you always have some vampires sucking energy for the sake of convenience? Sure, that is likely. Do the best you can and save yourself some money while you are at it.
Once you have identified the energy drains, here are five tips to reduce their impact:
1) Start replacing power strips with advanced power strips. They stop electronics from drawing power when they are off or not being used.
2) Unplug rarely used devices.
3) When a device is fully charged, unplug it. Leaving a phone or laptop plugged in after it is fully charged can reduce the life of the battery as well.
4) Adjust your computers and monitors to automatically power down to the lowest power mode when not in use.
5) Buy energy-efficient electronics and appliances. Include this in your buying criteria to lower the size of the idle drain.
Will you always have some vampires sucking energy for the sake of convenience? Sure, that is likely. Do the best you can and save yourself some money while you are at it.
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Photo Credit
Photo by Daniele Colucci on Unsplash