They aren’t the blood-sucking type, but they do have two points that insert into your electrical outlets instead of your neck. Vampire load or phantom energy refers to electricity that devices utilize while plugged in but not actively in use. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that these cloak-and-dagger devices could be costing you up to $200 annually. That doesn’t seem like much, but it is quite a few cups of fancy coffee. The most likely culprits are electronics with built-in clocks or digital displays. If you are like me, you probably have at least three items in your kitchen that show you the time. Other common offenders are TVs and game consoles that remain in standby mode to receive signals from remotes. Also, consider your automatic nightlights that always draw power to sense light changes and turn on.
You have some options to combat the monstrous energy draw. The simplest idea is to unplug as many items as possible when you aren’t using them. Obviously, this won’t work with your deep freeze, but maybe pull the plug on that fancy coffee maker with the lighted display that you only use on the weekends? I have a bad habit of leaving my laptop continually plugged in instead of unplugging and powering it off once it is charged. Next, try switching to smart power strips. They have advanced so far that they can essentially decide for you what to turn off. It will take more than sunlight and garlic, but you can make sure that vampire energy knows it isn’t welcome to cross your threshold.
