And these power vampire suckers come in the shape of computers, cable and set top TV boxes, video-games, DVD players, battery chargers, phone chargers and more. They all draw power to varying degrees and to make matters worse, they do it while you sleep. Here's how to manage the vampires in your home or office.
Take the time to walk around the house and count the little red, green or yellow lights that you see on various electronic appliances. Every one of those lights is telling you that power is being drained.
Get everyone to understand - if you're not using it, shut it off. This is especially true for computers and video games. Know that sometimes you may also need to unplug them. Even in standby mode, many electronic devices drain power.
Power strips are a smart way to shut down a heap of related gadgets at once - it could include a computer, printer, fax, modem or router. Once you've shut down your computer safely you can hit the "off" switch on your power strip and stop the power drain.
If you don't have the patience to patrol your home or office for suspected electrical vampires before you leave, set a timer to shut off automatically.
When you buy new appliances, make sure you check their energy rating thoroughly. All appliances have an energy rating by law.
You can also get a ton of information around the web from places like Canstar Blue, like this article on how much energy an air conditioner uses. See also: How Standby Appliances can Affect Your Power