Everyone should be aware of "energy vampires". These are the chargers, adapters, and appliances that suck electricity from your home - without even benefiting you.
Our home electronics are one of the main culprits. We watch TV, turn on the computer and pick up the phone every day. Those costs add up. And they add up even when we aren't using these machines. Each year, Americans spend more money powering their home audio systems and DVD players when those machines are off than when they are on, according to the nonprofit Alliance to Save Energy.
The first step toward eliminating these energy vampires is to turn off your electronics when you aren't using them - and unplug them from the wall. It's simple, but something most of us don't do often enough. Even when a machine looks like it's off, it is frequently drawing electricity to light up a clock display, power an "instant on" feature or other options that aren't very useful to us.
The average household pays for 50 watts of electricity to constantly power appliances that are in sleep mode or on standby mode. That's electricity that doesn't need to be used - and doing your part to cut it out will help both your wallet and the environment.
Another easy way to eliminate vampires: unplug that charger for your cell phone or laptop when you don't have your machine plugged in. Unless it's removed from the wall, it's usually drawing electricity, without transferring it to any of your electronics, either. These changes can add up quickly. According to EnergyStar, there are as many as 1.5 billion power adapters in the U.S. right now, charging everything from cell hones to cameras and other every-day devices. That's about five power adapters for every person.
So, head through your home and see what you can start unplugging. It will help you kick out those vampires today.
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