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Loading...Homes Haunted by Power Vampires
- Annie B. Bond
- October 29, 2009
- 5:01 pm
- 74 comments
Your home is most likely haunted by power vampires. Most of us have 10 to 30 power vampires, or power leeches—electrical devices that continuously draw power from your power outlets, even when not supplying any useful service. As a simple rule, the more gadgets in your home, the more power vampires. How many of these sneaky, insidious vampires haunt your home?
The power consumption of power vampires adds up. A recent study found that together they accounted for 5 to 20 percent of total home power consumption, even exceeding the traditionally higher user (the fridge in some homes.) Power vampires are the fastest-growing power users in our homes.
If you eliminate 90 percent of your power vampires in five years you will save $524, 33,700 pounds of C02, and 5,300 kWh of power.
Always a Power Vampire
Laptop chargers, fax machines, answering machines, printer, TVs, cable boxes, cable modems, modems, VCRs, DVD players, DVD recorders, digital video recorders, photocopier with paper sorter, phone chargers, hubs and routers, iPod chargers, video camera battery charger, night light.
Usually a Power Vampire
LCD monitor, audio system, photocopier without paper sorter, plugged-in electric toys.
May Be a Power Vampire
Desktop computer, CRT monitor, battery charger for AA, AAA, D, C, and 9V batteries (Nickel-Cadmium and Nickel-Metal hydride), boom box, battery chargers for rechargeable devices.
Never a Power Vampire
Incandescent lamps, compact fluorescent lights.
Adapted from <i>The Carbon Busters Home Energy Handbook,</i> by Godo Stoyke (New Society Publishers, 2007). Copyright (c) 2007 by Godo Stoyke. Reprinted by permission of New Society Publishers.
Read more: Home, Reduce, Recycle & Reuse, electrical draw, power consumption, power leeches
Adapted from The Carbon Busters Home Energy Handbook, by Godo Stoyke (New Society Publishers, 2007). Copyright (c) 2007 by Godo Stoyke. Reprinted by permission of New Society Publishers.
Adapted from The Carbon Busters Home Energy Handbook, by Godo Stoyke (New Society Publishers, 2007).
Annie B. Bond
Annie is a renowned expert in non-toxic and green living. Named one of the top 20 environmental leaders by Body and Soul Magazine, Annie has authored four books, including "Home Enlightenment" (Rodale Press, 2005) and "Better Basics for the Home" (Three Rivers Press, 1999).
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Thank you!
Wonderful looking trees, can't say that I am familair with the. Interesting post Thanks
Suzanne L. In about twenty years from now this womanchild will see the wisdom of her dad's actions. …
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74 comments
+ add your ownGood to know!
good info!
An interesting article with (what I at least) thought was a catchy title. I understand what you are saying and whilst will strive to switch things off when I can, I see little little point in supporting sites such as this one if I don't at least try but in honesty the one thing that I always seem to lack is time. Maybe you (we) should be petitioning manufactures to build in a facility where an appliance switches itself off if it hasn't been used for a period on time.
ok
hahaha. i find it funny that everything has "vampires" in it now. pathetic. we don't follow trends here at Care2.com
No wonder! My house has full wired web
That is why we NEED green energy!
Unfortunately, some of these things are indispensable.
Unfortunately, some of these things are indispensable.
Thanks for the article.
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