SALT LAKE CITY — You might be paying for electricity on devices you're not even using. These "energy vampires" waste electricity and your money by simply being connected to an outlet.
"A lot of people may not realize this but if you keep appliances plugged in, even when they are tuned off, some of them will be sucking electricity from your grid. That's because they are on standby mode," said David Brindley, deputy editor of The AARP Bulletin.
Brindley suggests a simple solution: If you unplug things like televisions, computers, and phone chargers, or even better, plug them into a power strip and turn it off when you are not using them. Brindley says this can save up to 10 percent on your electricity bill.
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates phone chargers can consume 0.26 watts of energy with no phone connected. When a fully charged phone is left connected, electricity use jumps to 2.24 watts. Game systems use even more when powered down.
Items you should not leave plugged in when off include laptops and computers, TVs and game consoles, small kitchen appliances like toasters and coffee makers, lamps, and phone chargers.
Just by taking these items out of the outlet when not in use can lead to smarter savings that really add up over time.
