Save On Your Energy Bills And Reduce Vampire Energy Loss

Vampire energy loss refers to the power consumed by electrical appliances and electronic devices while in a passive or standby mode and not being actively used. This energy waste is continuously sucking up the planet's natural resources at a disturbing rate. Adding all up all the vampire energy losses from every household in the United States accounts for about 68 billion wasted kilowatt-hours of electricity per year according to the United States Department of Energy. That equals the amount of electricity generated by about 37 power plants, at the expense of over 97 billion pounds of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere. (Alan Meier, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "The Proceedings of ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings." June 2000. Global Implications of Standby Power Use. June 4, 2009.).

Even those not terribly environmentally conscious and interested in reducing their carbon footprint should be interested in lowering electrical consumption at home from a purely financial standpoint. It is actually quite simple to do just by giving some attention to reducing vampire energy loss. Homes today are literally filled with electric appliances and electronic devices that consume power even when we are not actually using them. Just how much energy do these devices suck up? One electrically powered item might consume only a miniscule amount of power in stand by mode alone, yet when all of the electrical devices in an average home are considered together, the combined energy costs and potential for savings that can result from lowered energy consumption can be quite significant.

Examples of commonly found items around the home that use electricity even when not being actively used are: televisions, VCR players, DVD players, digital cable boxes, computers and peripherals, coffee makers, re-chargeable devices like hand-held vacuum cleaners, cordless telephones and microwave ovens. Cell phone chargers plugged into an electrical outlet consume electricity even when not being used to recharge a phone set.

According to statistical data obtained from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy web site, the average DVD or VCR in standby mode consumes about $10 a year worth of electricity, plasma television sets about $160 per year, computers around $34 per year and game consoles almost $26 annually. Cordless phones suck up just over $3 a year worth of electricity. (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. "Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings: Condensed Online Version." August 2007. Home Electronics. June 4, 2009. ) . As can easily be seen, accounting for the energy losses from every appliance and device in a home can really add up over a year's time. In fact, according to recent estimates, about 5 percent of all electricity used in the United States goes to standby power at a cost of around $4 billion a year. (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "Archives: Standby Power FAQ." 2009. How much power is used for standby in the US?, June 4, 2009. ). On a per household basis, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the cost of vampire energy loss per year is equivalent to about one-month's electric bill. Wouldn't most of us jump at the chance to get 12 months of electric service for the cost of only 11? For me that would average out to a savings of about $185.00. (Source of computations from author's electric monthly service billing average for past 12 months).

Reducing vampire energy loss can easily be accomplished by unplugging appliances and devices directly from the wall when they are not being used. When several related items such as computers and peripherals are located in one area, attach them to a power strip and then simply turn off the power switch when you are not using your computer. While those blinking digital clocks on your VCR or microwave might be a bit irritating, it is a small price to pay when you consider the lowered costs for electricity that unplugging these items will provide. In addition, for you environmental types, you will be helping to save the planet by living such a little bit greener.