Drive a Stake Through the Heart of Your Energy Vampires With These 5 Recommendations

Like “real” vampires, energy vampires leach the life source from their victims. However, unlike the type of vampires that transform into bats and sleep in coffins, energy vampires won’t drain the life out of you. What they can do, though, is drain your bank account by increasing your energy bills without you even knowing it.

This is done through something called standby power. Any electronic device with its own power supply that you leave plugged into the wall 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is an energy vampire. And it’ll suck the life out of your energy-saving efforts. Therefore, here are five ways to drive a stake through the heart of energy vampires, and save on your energy bills every month:

• Seek out the Energy Star: Appliances that qualify for the Energy Star label consume less electricity from the get-go. In standby mode, they also are proven to suck less energy from the outlet and reduce energy waste while plugged in.
• Employ power-management settings: Computers and monitors are principal energy vampires in your home. Navigate to the location in which you can configure your computer’s settings, and look at the various options for either increasing or decreasing your computer’s power consumption. Most computers, by default, are set with moderate power-saving settings, but you can choose to ratchet down your settings to conserve even more.
• Utilize power strips: Plug home-theater equipment, computers and monitors into central power strips. Then, when you’re done using them, you can prevent energy loss by flipping the switch on the power strip. You’ll also protect your electronics from power surges this way. Keep in mind that any device with a timer, such as a VCR or DVR, will need to remain plugged in to function the way that you want.
• Unplug chargers: MP3 players, cell phones, cameras, hand-held gaming devices and other wireless electronics require wall chargers to power up their batteries. Unplug these, along with power adapters, to prevent them from becoming energy vampires while they’re not in use.
• Schedule annual maintenance: Heating and cooling systems can become extreme energy vampires if you neglect them. Cure them of their energy-wasting habits by scheduling annual inspections from a qualified technician.

For more energy-saving tips, please contact Roth Home & Cooling in Portland today. Our experience dates back to 1976, and we proudly serve residential and commercial customers. Ask about our Precision Tune-Up to ensure that your heating and cooling equipment is working optimally.