Thought your home was safe from creatures of the night? Think again.
This Halloween, it’s not only the ghosts, ghouls, and goblins lurking around the corner that you need to watch out for, but also the sneaky “energy vampires” hiding in plain sight in your home.
What’s an energy vampire?
Everything you plug into an outlet—almost every appliance, computer, console, charger, you name it – sucks power even when it’s turned off.
Also known as “phantom or ghost load”, these vampires sip on electricity all day, silently increasing your electricity bill and sucking the life out of your wallet. All without you noticing. Until you get the bill.
Ghosts in the machines
Standby power could cost you between $0.03 per hour for a computer monitor and $0.54 per hour for a smart TV, depending on things like where you live, your energy tariff, appliance efficiency, and of course, the timing of your energy use.
Three cents might not seem like much, but with the average home having between 15 and 40 energy-thirsty leeches, it adds up fast.
In fact, vampire energy could account for up to 10% of your electricity bill! For an average Australian household, this means an extra $170 to $200, or more, each year for electricity that you’re not even using. Now, that’s scary!
Cutting the life supply to energy vampires not only reduces energy costs but could also reduce Australian carbon emissions by 2.6 million tonnes. That’s equal in weight to about 260,000 African elephants!
Watch Garry Harding, CEO of EnergyFlex, discuss Energy Vampires – what are they and how to stop them sucking your bank account dry – with Alice Monfries on 9News:
What’s draining your wallet and the planet?
So, what are the biggest suckers?
- Mobile phone, laptop, and toothbrush chargers plugged in, waiting to be used.
- TVs, printers, and computer screens chilling on standby.
- Microwaves, ovens, and other appliances with digital displays.
- Kettles, air fryers, and coffeemakers conveniently hanging out on the counter.
- Gaming consoles, dreaming of feasting on your energy when in sleep mode.
- Siri, Alexa, or any other smart home assistant listening out for your voice.
- Any appliance with an LED light, digital clock, or a remote control is probably consuming standby power right now.
Do this before you go trick-or-treating
Going trick-or-treating tonight? Do this first (and every night) to avoid a nasty surprise when your energy bill arrives.
- Unplug. If you’re not using it, unplug it. Better yet, get a few power strips and cut the life supply to a bunch of vampires in one satisfying flick.
- Dark mode: On. Turn off all inside lights to make your home extra spooky.
- Change settings. Switch devices to energy-saving mode and adjust the thermostat by a degree or two.
- Have fun while the sun shines. Sunlight is nature’s vampire repellent, so get your trick-or-treating’ done while it’s still light out and avoid the ghouls lurking in the shadows.
The easiest way to reduce the amount of standby power you use is to turn your devices and appliances off at the plug when you’ve finished using them. Start now. Go flick a switch and tell your standby devices to stand down.
Download the free EnergyFlex app and discover more simple actions to reduce your energy bills.
