You’ve probably heard of Vampire Power—the amount of power a device uses in standby mode when you aren’t using it. Finley could not walk past an idle plugged-in charger without giving someone a look pretty much like the one in this picture.  I still chuckle every time I pass one, and though a handful of modern chargers may just waste 1% of my household electricity budget, I definitely still unplug it—‘waste’ being the operative word.

What are the devices it really pays to ‘unplug’ when not in use?  Here are a few suggestions that will make a big impact: 1. Turn off your heat and AC when you are asleep or out of the house (it costs less to reheat or cool down your home than to keep it at a constant temperature).  2. Turn off lights when you are not using them, even if just for a few minutes.  3. Though your computer likely isn’t even close to being the biggest energy-waster in your home, make sure it is set to sleep automatically when you’re not using it, because it’s silly to waste energy.

And this brings us back to Finley’s motto—every little bit makes a difference.  She certainly does.  http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/vampire.html