This green tip is easy to follow, saves you money and only requires a small task from you.  Unplug the power vampires!  Pretty much everyone turns off their TV or stereo in a very basic effort to conserve energy.  But most people don’t realize that the TV and stereo still suck power from the energy well just by remaining plugged in and ‘at the ready’ for the next time you want to use it.  And it certainly doesn’t stop there.

Power ‘vampires’ include any appliance in your home that remains plugged in while not in use.  It includes your computer, cell phone charger, PDA, Mp3 player, video game console, alarm clock, digital camera, coffeemaker, microwave and any other device with an internal clock designed to be ready as soon as you need it.  Unplugging them can save as much as 40% of the wasted electricity. More importantly, you save on your energy bill and the planet saves on the energy drain.

Start by unplugging your cell phone charger, MP3 player, digital camera or PDA - once they are fully charged, they don’t charge further so there’s no point having it plugged into an electrical outlet.  Try installing a power strip for your computer and TV/VCR/DVD equipment and power it off off when you’re finished with it each day.  What about that coffeemaker or microwave?  They aren’t constantly in use so they don’t need to be plugged in.

I know it seems like a pretty basic green tip, but we need to globally look for simple ways to save earth from further unnecessary consumption.  Devices plugged in and designed to remain in a “ready” state until needed means they continually drain electricity.  Any step towards a greener lifestyle is a step worth taking, especially if it only costs you a little effort.  Saving money on top of that is a nice bonus.

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Tags: conserve energy, Green Living, green tip, greener lifestyle, planet forward, power vampire, Sustainable Practice, sustainable practices