This is an amazing fact:
Even when you’re sleeping, your house can be awake.
There are no supernatural forces at work here.
This isn’t because your teen is stealing food at night.
But from something more sneaky: the might of vampires.
“Standby power” is the name for the power that goes into gadgets even while they are off. Yes, it is.
What about your TV? using power even when “off.”
What about your coffee machine? thinking about the coffee you will make tomorrow and utilizing electricity to do it.
Is the charger for the phone still working? The charger is plugged in, but the phone isn’t plugged in. People are still drinking juice.
What are vampires’ powers? (And Why It’s Stealing Your Money)
This is the energy that gadgets use when they are not in use. It is also known as phantom load, standby power, or leaking electricity.
They are “off,” but they are still working together.
Like your TV waiting for the remote, they are on standby.
They have lights, clocks, or other functions that switch on right away.
They are charging, but nothing is plugged in.
Here are some of the most popular reasons:
Chargers for laptops and phones that are connected in but not being used
Smart TVs, sound bars, and gaming consoles
Coffee makers with digital clocks
Computers, printers, and monitors
Chargers for controllers, vacuums, and toothbrushes
Like the glowing clock, microwaves
These little fellas can suck up 5–10% of the electricity in your home each year, which is like paying for a room you never use.
How much can you really save?
Let’s be honest:
A break won’t make you rich.
But depending on how you set it up, it may save you $100 to $200 a year.
Here are the costs of several well-known gadgets that are just sitting there:
A gaming system, like a PS5 or Xbox
$30 to $60
Box for cable or satellite TV
$40 to $80
A coffee maker that has a clock
$10 to $15
Charger for the laptop (always plugged in)
$5 to $10
TV and sound bar
$25 to $50
Is that something you can perform on more than one device? That’s real money that is slowly leaving your wallet.
But wait—don’t pull the plug on everything!
Before you start unplugging everything, here are several things you shouldn’t do:
Refrigerator/Freezer: If you don’t want your food to smell bad and your kitchen to be a mess, you need to keep medical devices like oxygen machines and CPAPs safe and powered. You can use a router to get Wi-Fi at night. You can set it to turn off security systems or baby monitors. First, safety. Modem or router (if you have smart home devices)
Some devices, like your cable box, take a long time to turn back on. So, think about how much money you can save and how simple it is to use.
How to Stop the Suck (Without Losing Your Mind)
You don’t have to be a ninja with outlets. Just use your head.
1. Use smart power strips.
When the main device stops working, these cut off power to the “slave” devices.
Example: “Turn off your TV” cuts off power to the soundbar, game console, and streaming box.
2. Put all of your devices on one strip.
Countertop in the kitchen? There should be one strip for the coffee maker, toaster, and blender. Shut it off at night.
Place for fun? One switch turns off the whole system.
3. Unplug chargers when you’re not using them.
It only takes two seconds. Do it every day, like cleaning your teeth.
4. Pick devices that don’t require a lot of power when they’re not in use.
When you buy new electronics, you should look for:
ENERGY STAR® label (they use less power while they’re not in use)
There are no dazzling lights, only basic switches to turn things on and off.
5. Stick to the “Last One Out” Rule.
Before you go to bed or leave the house, do a fast check to see whether you turned off everything that isn’t needed.