I have been reading about "phantom load" from appliances and feel a bit robbed that they are sucking up energy like vampires when I'm not using them.
Here is a great energy-saving tip; it's easy and you probably don't need to buy anything. The idea is to turn off all appliances that have a phantom load. This is even easier if you use power strips. Examples of appliances that use power even when off are TVs, cable boxes, DVR players, PC monitors, chargers - basically anything with a light on or produces warmth. Our FIOS box is probably the worst offender; I can hear it humming from several feet away. Since almost everything we own is plugged into a power strip, I simply go through the house at night or when I leave the house for work and turn off the strips. Be careful not to turn off clocks or devices that need to be left on like answering machines. You will actually hear the difference!
I found that remembering to turn off our power hungry appliances during the work day and at night saves between $20-$30 per month on our bill.
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