It’s no secret that we all cause a power drain to our local grids on a daily basis. The biggest culprits are the appliances and electronics that still pull power even when turned off. This type of power drain is called vampire power and according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) it’s a power drain that wastes between 200-400 terawatts of electricity per year on a global scale.

In the United States alone, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reported that the overall vampire power waste is costing us $10 billion a year and accounts for 11% of our country’s power usage.  Up to 40% of an appliances power drain on the grid comes from when the device is turned off but still plugged into the wall.

Can you imagine what would happen to our monthly power bills, if we all stopped contributing to vampire power? And on a larger scale the effect on not just our local power grids but on the national drain? Unfortunately, we don’t have the numbered answers for those questions because the stop on using vampire power hasn’t happened yet.

So, what actions can you take to lesson the local vampire power drain? Let’s take a look at five simple steps that you can take now that will reduce your vampire power, ease the drain on the local grid and save you money on your monthly power bill.

• Unplug your cell phone charger when not in use. A standard cell phone charger pulls one watt an hour when plugged in and not charging the phone.
• Unplug your DVD player when not in use. When not in use a standard DVD player pulls 7 watts an hour.
• Unplug your TV when you are not watching it. TV’s pull 10 watts an hour while plugged in and turned off.
• Unplug your computer monitor when not in use. The standard CRT, LCD or Plasma screen monitors can pull 11 watts an hour while on standby.
• Unplug your computer when not in use. Your standard PC pulls 15 watts of power per hour while plugged in and not turned on.

Many people will balk at the idea of unplugging their electronics.  It can be an inconvenience to remember but is the drain caused by the vampire power really worth not having to wait a few more seconds for remotes to connect and PC’s to run? To make the unplugging process easier, get a power strip and just switch it off on your way out the door.

Just give the above steps a try and see for yourself the difference it will make on your monthly power bill. You can save money and do something to help the environment, it’s a win-win situation.

For more information on vampire power, check out the The Real World Green video: Vampire Power

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