Want to hear something spooky this Halloween?
A recent BC Hydro survey shows that Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥˜energy vampiresÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™ can suck unnecessary amounts of power from your home and you wonÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™t even know until you open your electricity bill!
They say some devices, including electronics and appliances, continue to draw power even when theyÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™re turned off and can account for up to 10 per cent of a householdÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s bill.
According to BC Hydro, the average home has more than 25 devices that draw vampire power, from televisions to gaming consoles and coffeemakers.
HereÏ㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥™s how to pull the plug on vampire power in the home:
- Unplug products that are not in use Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥“ disconnect guest TVs and turn off game consoles when not in use. A set-top box and video game console left plugged in costs about $36 a year.
- Use a power bar with timer Ï㽶ÊÓƵֱ²¥“ plug electronic devices into a power bar with a timer to shut them off automatically.
- Look for the energy star label when purchasing home electronics, they use less electricity and typically have built-in power-saving features.
- Disable computer screen savers by activating the sleep mode instead of using a screen saver that uses twice as much energy.
- Recycle old electronics at the return-it depot to save up to $30 per year in standby power costs.
Customers concerned about their hydro usage can down to the hour at .
ragnar.haagen@bpdigital.ca
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