Hey, do you know how many vampires there are in your house? Before you say none, let me explain...
"Vampire" refers to electronic equipment that leaches energy even when it's not being used, such as devices that operate on a remote control (you know, your TV, VCR, CD player, etc.). Cell chargers are also vampires...microwaves and coffee makers, too! Figure that if it's glowing when you're not using it, it is also sucking blood...er, energy. I am personally in the every-little-bit-helps camp, especially when it comes to conservation, reducing waste, etc. While I'm willing to use a little juice in order to avoid having to reset my alarm clock every night when I go to bed, on the other hand, I'm also willing to give up the clock on the microwave, and kill that vampire. I've handled this by plugging several kitchen appliances into one power strip that has a switch on it (yes, this stops the insanity of energy leaching--when I remember to switch it off!). My microwave, toaster oven, seal-a-meal, stick blender, and coffee grinder are all lined up and ready to go at a little flip of the switch. We have also stopped leaving our cell chargers plugged in. I figure it's worth it to take the 3 seconds to plug in the charger when I need it, and save that power for someplace where I really appreciate the convenience, like having my TV always plugged in (for us, it is not only very inconvenient to reach that outlet, we also have a built-in TV guide that disappears if the power goes out). So what do you say? Are there any vampires you can slay today?
Not sure it's worth it? Here's a little tidbit that might make your bank account tingle: "About 40% of the electricity being used to power your home electronics is consumed while they are in that standby mode" according to this article http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2007-10-30-vampire-electronics_N.htm from USA Today.
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