You’ve probably heard the advice countless times: “Unplug stuff when you’re not using it.” It can feel annoying, almost obsessive—but it’s not wrong. The key is to be strategic, not compulsive.
There’s a term for the hidden electricity drain that makes this advice relevant: vampire power. Understanding it is the first step to saving energy efficiently.
Vampire power is also called phantom load or standby power. It’s the electricity that devices sip while turned off or idle.
Any device with a clock, status light, remote readiness, or sleep mode is a potential energy vampire, silently consuming power even when you think it’s “off.”