Kill ‘vampire’ power drains and save cash
Some gadgets can still consume 25% of full power even when off
While Halloween is still six months away, you likely have some “vampires” lurking around your home today — and they’re taking a bite out of your wallet.
With many of our consumer electronics products plugged into electrical sockets — an average of 40 items per household connected at any one time – they’re constantly “sucking ” electricity, even when not in use. In fact, some of these products can still consume as much as 25% of its full power even when switched off.
There are several ways to fight back against “vampire power” — also referred to as “standby power” or “phantom power” — and ways technology can help you save money in your home.
TIMED POWER CUT-OFFS
Simply unplug the gadgets from the wall when you’re not using them or when your devices have finished charging. For example, your smartphone’s battery is probably fully charged after 45 minutes, so there’s no reason to keep it plugged into the wall overnight. Manually unplugging devices is the cheapest way to handle “vampires” but requires you to stay on top of it. On a related note, curb idle time on your gadgets, such as having your laptop or game console go into sleep mode after a short period.
Special switches and power strips can also cut off electricity, on demand or via a timer. Belkin, for example, has a line of conserve-branded switches (from $6.99) that shuts off power to what’s plugged into it — either with the flip of a switch or after a predetermined amount of time (from $9.99). Conserve power strips ($29.99 to $39.99) can cut off any residual power to the device after a specific time or with a wireless remote switch.
LED LIGHTS
Replacing your incandescent or florescent bulbs with LED lights can greater reduce the amount of power your home consumes as they sip rather than gulp electricity. A 60-watt equivalent, for example, might be only 6.5 to 10 watts for comparable lumens with an LED light — not to mention they can last considerably longer, which saves you even more money. Philips LEDs start at about $5 for a regular white bulb and with some that allegedly last up to 20 years.
SMART THERMOSTATS
Smart thermostats let you easily adjust heating and cooling settings from your smartphone, tablet or smartwatch, and many can automatically optimize settings based on when you’re home and when you’re not. By learning your schedule and detecting the weather, ecobee3 lite ($169), for example, now works with optional wireless sensors for room-byroom comfort.
WATER SENSORS
You’re not alone if you’re concerned about water damage and the havoc it can wreak — especially if you knew the national average cost to repair water damage is $2,175 (HomeAdvisor.com). Have some peace of mind with a simple solution such as the DLink mydlink Wi-Fi Water Sensor ($59.99). This small white gadget plugs into an open power outlet and immediately notifies you if a leak is detected with a notification sent to your smartphone. There are no monthly monitoring costs as it joins on your existing Wi-Fi connection. This sensor is also ideal for summer homes and rental properties.