Defanging Vampire Appliances

A vampire is a mythical creature of the night who lives by preying on others, but a vampire appliance, well, it will just bite you in the pocketbook.

That's because some home electronic appliances - including TVs, microwaves and many that you might not expect - drain energy even when they are off but are still plugged into an outlet. This can cost the typical household $165 to $440 annually, depending on electricity rates and location, to power these devices while they are off or in standby mode.

Since the average home has about 40 vampire energy electronics that can account for up to 20% of our energy bills, here are some tips to help identify and eliminate the energy-draining appliances in your home - and save some money:

Ways to eliminate vampire appliances:

• Plug into power strips - Power strips let you power devices on and off so they're not consuming energy when they're not in use or you're not around.
• Unplug infrequently used items - If you have an extra TV or desktop computer you don't use often, unplug them until you need to use them.
• Unplug fully charged devices - Cellphones, laptops, tablets and e-readers fit this category.
• Use ENERGY STAR-rated appliances - These appliances have lower standby consumption and use less energy than a general appliance.

• Video game consoles
• Cable and satellite TV boxes
• Kitchen appliances (like coffee makers)
• Laptops
• Desktop computers
• DVD and DVR players
• Devices that turn on automatically with a remote control
• Chargers (such as your cellphone or camera chargers)
• Printers
• Lights
• Electronics with a standby light or clock