You, too, may have electricity vampires in your home

You, too, may have electricity vampires in your home

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Story Published: Nov 4, 2008 at 10:15 AM PDT

Story Updated: Nov 21, 2008 at 5:01 AM PDT

By Herb Weisbaum

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Most of us could use less electricity around the house if we put our minds to it.

I'm not talking about living in the dark or making major sacrifices; I'm talking about being just a little more aware. Because if you use less, you'll pay less. It's that simple.

Sometimes it's obvious to we're wasting electricity. We might eave the TV on when no one is watching or forget to turn off the lights.

But these days, even when they're turned off, many electronic devices still suck power. They're called electricity vampires.

And using a small gadget called the Kill A Watt from P3 International ($20), you can find track down these vampires around the house.

The TV might be off, but its "instant on" feature still draws 6 watts. That adds about $4.20 to your yearly bill. Same for the stereo system, which pulls 7 watts, or $5 a year.

Home computers can really be energy wasters unless you set them to conserve. Remember, screen savers don't save power.

Bob Balzar, director of conservation at Seattle City Light, helped Lianne Sundquist reset her computer to shut down when it's not in use. When the monitor was turned off, the energy use dropped from 17 watts to nothing.

By making one simple adjustment, the Sundquists can save almost $30 per year.

"My kids leave it on a lot, so I think it'll make a big difference," she said.

I couldn't end this report without a quote from my father, who always used to say, "So who am I working for, the electric company?!"

I hear that little voice every time I walk out of the room without turning off the lights or shutting off the TV. Believe me, it works!

More information:

Electricity Vampires, Now That's Scary

Standby Power and Energy Vampires

Cut up to 10 percent of your electric bill simply by turning off "vampire" appliances that run all night

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