Home appliances

Vampire Appliances Explained – How Do They Work?

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Vampire appliances are called vampires as they still use power even when they are switched off at the wall socket. When some appliances are switched off and go into standby mode, they still can consume power and could contribute to quite a substantial portion of power bills. 

It is important to remove your appliances altogether once they have been switched off – in other words, pull the plug out of the wall when you switch off your television set, your computer and if you have a charger for your laptop or for your cell phone, remove these from the power as they still consume energy even when not plugged into the device. 

Did You Know… 

  • As much as 20% of your entire monthly electricity bill could account for vampire appliances 
  • Vampire power is also referred to as standby power 

This Is How Vampire Power Works 

  • Every electrical cord that is plugged into a plug socket consumes energy and pulls the electricity out 
  • Many modern electrical devices are equipped with sleep and standby modes – your computer is a good example 
  • When appliances are in sleep or standby mode, they are using power 
  • Power is used to connect remotely, record data and to update information One of the chief causes of energy leaking is as a direct result of advanced technology and modern technologically advanced devices 
  • Did you know that your device can still receive signals from remotes to power your device on at any given time even when your device is in sleep or standby mode? 
  • The power that is regularly available has been designed to respond instantly when needed 
  • Technology is great but it can cost you dearly  
  • Most offices and homes have devices that consume vampire power as they come equipped with standby options 

This List Will Tell You Which Appliances Are the Biggest Vampires 

  • Your computer equipment such as your charger, modem, router and all PC’s including your desktop and laptop 
  • Satellite and other TV-related boxes 
  • TV’s that are in “instant on” mode. The bigger the screen of your TV, the energy it will consume 
  • Sound systems  
  • Your microwave, clock, and other electrical household appliances 

It Is Easy to Spot an Energy Vampire 

  • When an electrical appliance has a continuous display such as a clock or it includes LED then this will be in all probability be a vampire appliance  
  • If an appliance has a remote control it will continue to consume energy even when it is unplugged from the wall 
  • When an appliance charges batteries, it will consume energy when it is switched off at the wall 

The best way to save power and avoid appliances and devices from consuming energy when you are not using them is to unplug them from the wall and remove the plug entirely. This is especially pertinent to chargers, video games, and cell phone chargers. A smart idea is to use power strips that will turn off numerous appliances including TVs, garage door openers, microwaves and computers as well as other electronics. Turn off printers, computer equipment, and routers in the home office or the office when not in use. Some electrical devices that have an on and off button are almost identical in the use of power. Printers are a very good example as they use almost the same amount of power when switched on or if in standby mode.