This Halloween, watch out for lurking energy vampires. These are the electronics and adapters that consume electricity when they are not being used. Power adapters and phone chargers are easy vampires to spot, and also easy to slay. Every energy vampire you vanquish saves you money, helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and helps in the fight against climate change.
The average U.S. household spends $100 per year to power devices while they are off (or in standby mode). On a national basis, this standby power accounts for more than 100 billion kilowatt hours of annual U.S. electricity consumption and more than $10 billion in annual energy costs.
These simple steps can protect our homes and offices from energy vampires:
. Unplugging power adapters or battery chargers when equipment is fully charged or disconnected from the charger.
. Using a power strip that can be switched off when electronics and appliances are not in use.
. Looking for the Energy Star label when purchasing products.
Here's a handy graph from Good Magazine to help you pinpoint the Energy Vampires in your house. (Click to enlarge.)
And here's a short, but informative video:
Slay Energy Vampires by visiting Energy Star.
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