MANASSAS, Va. – An energy vampire in your house is sucking your wallet dry. But you can drive a stake into it and reduce your energy costs by 10 percent with just a little effort.
The average American home has 40 devices and appliances that are constantly using energy. Among them are TVs, DVRs, computers and chargers for cellphones and tablets.
Priscilla Knight, spokeswoman for Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative, says you can easily save about 10 percent on your electric bill.
If your bill is $100 a month, you can save about $10 a month by unplugging devices, such as chargers and coffee makers.
“You can plug your television, DVR, your game boxes, all the equipment that goes with it, into a power strip, and you can turn the power strip off when you leave,” she said.
“All those LED lights that you see on your equipment means that power is being consumed.”
Knight said there are even some power strips that work on a timer, so you can plan when the devices completely shut down.
Even when your mobile device is fully charged, the charger continues to draw power, if it is still plugged in.
Knight says many new devices will actually last longer if they are unplugged when not in use.
You can get more energy-saving tips and calculators to see how much energy you are using at NOVEC’s website.
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