Deeper Shade of Green

What are they you say? No, they do not hail from Transylvania but rather from your own home. I’m talking about any and every device that is plugged-in in your home right now and that is turned off; be it your camera or cell phone charger, your toothbrush, your air freshener (this toxic nonsense should not be in your home - just open up your windows!), your vcr, your TV and your computer as well as countless others. All of these devices are plugged into the power grid, yet they are off and not used or needed.

You see, all of these devices have some sort of a transformer either built in or as part of that black brick you attach to the wall. And transformers always consume some eletricity, even when the actual device is off. How much you say? Would you be surprised if I told you up to 10% of your electricity bill? Or how about this: we’re consuming anywhere from five to eight very large power plants in the United States alone for stand-by power consumption! (source). This is staggering and we have to put a stop to it. So what can you do about it?

• Buy the most energy efficient appliances - watch the EnerGuide logos
• Appliances that has to stay on - such as VCR or the new DVD recordable devices, can now be manufactured with new microchips that allows the unit to be plugged in but draw next to no energy. When you purchase a new equipment, inform yourself.
• Buy power bars (try to get used ones first - remember the second R: Reuse) and segment your devices - especially in your office - into groups of those you need on, and those you don’t. Attach the power bar underneath your desk, and when you leave the office, switch the power bar you don’t need on - off. This will power off all the devices unneeded to be on. Here’s one interesting concept I came across.
• For more great gadgets helping you combat power vampires, check out an article on our old trusty Treehugger.
• Check out - yet again from Treehugger - an excellent guide on How to green Your Electricity for some cool tips!
• Be aware and informed. Nothing beats an inquisitive mind. Ask questions and seek solutions. And if you find some great answers to this, or some other problem, post it here in comments. I’d love to hear about it.

Alright, so you may not be Van Helsing, but you can for sure drive a dagger through your power vampires!