20% Vampire

Do you own a TV? a computer? a VCR...the list goes on and on. Electronics are beginning to replace the refrigerator as the leading energy-users in the residential home.

But what can you do about that energy use? First things first - MEASURE it! Source: http://www.fypower.org/news/?p=629&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eNewswire&utm_content=601417125&utm_campaign=e-Newswire+Issue+641+_+hjtkn&utm_term=Are+Energy+Vampires+Quietly+Boosting+Your+Bills%3f (please keep in mind that this is a newsletter entry and the address may change). The average home should be spending about 10-15% of their energy costs when appliances are in stand-by mode. If you have a high number of electronics this number may be considerably higher. There are measuring devices, so you can see how much your energy use is being affected by vampire appliances (appliances that use energy even while turned off.) How can you tell if an appliance is a vampire? This is really easy in the dark (This is really funny to me - vampires...coming out at night...) At night, or with the home dark check for those little red, green...or orange? etc. Lights. These little lights, like on your TV, or computer monitor show that there is POWER to the unit. If there is POWER to the unit and you aren't using the unit - that POWER is being WASTED.

Simple fixes? Turn off the units when they aren't being used.

Even easier? Use a power strip or a squid. -- Okay, but don't just buy the thing - you actually have to trip the little power switch on the power strip to make it actually useful. That way you can turn off your entire entertainment system when you aren't using it. That makes life so much easier...it's all on one button.

Why spend money on energy you're not even using?