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Oct. 28, 2010
Don't Let "Vampire Power" Cost You Money
Image: Flickr, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
It’s the Halloween season, when our thoughts turn to ghosts, ghouls, costumes and candy. Vampires are in vogue, but there’s one you’ll want to avoid on October 31 and year round. Vampire power is the energy that some electronic devices continue to suck from outlets when they’re not in use but “resting” in standby mode. This type of wasted energy can add up quickly and cost you a lot of money if you’re not careful.
There are simple ways to avoid the bite of vampire power, starting with unplugging or using a power strip for your TV, computer, DVD player and other electronics when not in use. Simply flip the switch on a power strip to make sure devices are truly off and not lurking in the shadows with their dark screens, unknowingly draining energy while on standby. The advent of smart power strips is making it even more convenient for consumers to save energy in this way.
Searching the Web, I found a fun vampire power video by TreehuggerTV. I can’t vouch for their numbers, but it gets the message across. Also, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro has kicked off a campus sustainability campaign focused on reducing wasted energy from vampire power. They have several tips for easy ways that students (and everyone) can – like Buffy – start slaying (energy) vampires today!
As a side note, please drive carefully this Halloween and watch out for the kids trick-or-treating.
- Jeff
