Do you have Energy Vampires in YOUR home?

You expect them at Halloween, but vampires may be tricking you year round, sucking energy and costing you $$!

An unseen guest in your home could be the Energy Vampire. The Energy Vampire, also referred to as phantom load, lurks in all electrical outlets where electronic equipment or appliances are plugged into the wall.

Even if your equipment is turned off, the Energy Vampire is still at work – quietly sucking the energy from everything you’ve left plugged in. Some electronics or appliances go into a sleep mode or on a standby setting, which continues to pull a current even though you might think you turned a device off.

In fact, many of the most common electronic devices in your home stay on even if you think they’re off. Rest assured, to kill this vampire, you don’t need a stock of silver bullets or stinky garlic – you simply need to pull the plug. That means when you’re done with your coffee pot, microwave, hair dryer and other devices, disconnect them totally from their power sources.

Besides the TV, which can draw 12 watts of electricity even after you flick off your favorite show, the biggest standby energy hog is the home computer and its suite of devices.

Here are some clues to identify your energy suckers:

* They’re appliances with remote controls, such as TVs, VCRs and audio equipment.

* They feature a continuous digital display – like those glowing clocks on stoves.

* They feature rechargeable batteries, such as cordless phones, laptops, cell phones, or iPod chargers (which use energy even after the batter y is charged).

* They’re appliances with external power supplies, such as inkjet printers and desktop computers.

Sometimes it’s difficult to combat vampires because these days we have more and more gadgets we like to plug-in. One easy solution is to use a power strip.

Step 1: Plug all components of a computer or home entertainment system into a power strip.

Step 2: Turn off the power strip with a single switch. Anything plugged into the strip now is truly turned off.

Unplug rarely used appliances – why pay to power the flashing clock? Ditto for chargers that aren’t in use. Unplug the TV, toaster oven and other often-used appliances before you leave on vacation (or more frequently). If it’s not plugged in, it can’t suck energy.

Lastly, remember to buy energy-efficient appliances bearing the ENERGY STAR® label. That way, at least your vampires will suck away less energy.

Reprinted from the October, 2009 NorthWestern Energy newsletter energy CONNECTIONS