Since Halloween’s in the air, let’s talk about something spooky: vampire electronics. These everyday gadgets quietly suck electricity (and money) when you’re not using them.
They’re called “phantom loads” or “standby power,” and they’re everywhere from your cable box to your soundbar to your printer. Even when they’re “off,” they’re drawing power.
The Department of Energy says this ghost power costs the average household $165 a year. That’s not nothing.
🧄 Use the tech garlic
You can hunt these energy vampires with a device called a Kill A Watt. It’s a plug-in meter that shows exactly how much power something’s using whether it’s running, idle or supposedly off.
It’s super easy to use. Simply plug your gadget into the Kill A Watt, plug that into the wall, and boom, instant readout. You’ll find out fast which “off” things are actually draining juice.
So what should you check first? Start with the sneaky stuff:
TVs, cable boxes, game consoles
Microwaves and coffee makers with digital clocks
Chargers plugged in with nothing attached
Smart speakers and smart home hubs
Laptops that never fully shut down
You don’t need to check your fridge or Wi-Fi router. This isn’t frontier living.
Want to go all out? Snag a smart home energy monitor system that hooks directly to your circuit breaker. They cost a bit more, but they’ll save you even more money. I found a great one that’s $70 off right now.
🦇 Slay your energy vampires
Yank the plug, or better yet, use a power strip with on/off switches. These ones with a flat plug are top-rated and 25% off. One flip and you’ll drive a stake through a whole row of vampires.
Even better: Get smart plugs. Your TV doesn’t need to be on standby at 3 a.m. Wyze plugs (15% off, two-pack) let you cut power and set schedules. Just plug your TV into one. Then, in the app, give it a name you’ll remember like “Living room TV.” I use these so it looks like someone is home when I am on vacation. I like them because they don’t need a hub and work with Alexa and Google Assistant for easy voice control. Genius.
So now that you’re armed, go full Van Helsing on those energy vampires and treat yourself to lower power costs.
🩸 Why don’t vampires use autocorrect? Because they love Type Os. (lol guaranteed)
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