Halloween may be the spookiest time of year, but some ghosts are hiding in your home all year long. These aren’t your typical ghouls… they’re energy phantoms: appliances and electronics that continue to draw power when they’re plugged in but not actively being used. Common culprits include:
- Phone, tablet and laptop chargers.
- Coffee makers with digital clocks.
- TVs and cable boxes in standby mode.
- Gaming consoles left on or “sleeping.”
- Computers and printers quietly sipping electricity.
Individually, each device may use just a trickle of power, but together, this phantom power adds up. Fortunately, there are practical ways to chase them away.
Take Control and Vanquish Phantom Energy
- Unplug when not in use.
Unplug chargers and small appliances when they’re idle. If doing this every day feels like a chore, focus on areas with clusters of electronics, like the living room or home office, to start. - Use smart power strips.
Smart or “advanced” power strips act like guardians, cutting off electricity to devices automatically when they’re not in use. Turn off your TV, and the strip can shut down your gaming console and sound system at the same time — no haunting energy wasted. - Shut down computers fully.
Many devices continue sipping energy in “sleep” mode. Shut down laptops or desktops overnight to save money and prevent phantom drain. - Choose energy-efficient appliances.
When it’s time to replace a kitchen appliance or electronics, energy-efficient models are designed to minimize phantom energy use and keep your home more efficient overall. - Use timers.
Plug items like lamps and holiday lights into simple outlet timers. This ensures they’re only on when needed, keeping unnecessary energy consumption from creeping in like a midnight ghost.
Small Changes, Real Savings
Phantom energy may be invisible, but its effects aren’t. Even trimming a few dollars a month adds up to meaningful savings on your energy bill over the course of a year.
By unplugging what you don’t need, leaning on smart technology and making intentional choices about appliances, you can banish these energy phantoms once and for all. And the best part? You don’t have to give up comfort or convenience. These small, practical steps can help your home run more efficiently, proving that sometimes, the spookiest things aren’t ghosts; they’re just a little wasted energy waiting to be reclaimed.
Thank you I’m fully aware of what you shared.
That is a helpful reminder
That’s nice and useful knowledge. How about not screwing the consumers on their electric bill. I’m sure there are plenty of comsumers feel exactly the same way.
I really appreciate all that you had on here. Never even thought about clocks that I don’t use, coffee makers not being used, and so on. Unplugging starts now.
Good report . Great suggestions.
Always,appreciate the helpful suggestions…
Seriously? How about ridding us of graft and data centers
Thank you, I am doing it now.
Thank you for the tips, these are things that I had no idea would be using electricity when not in use.
I cant believe how much my electric bill cost with me being at work most of the time and when I am home im sleeping. Its crazy. I can see why people go the solar route if they don’t need much electricity.
Thanks for the advice!
Very good information
I live alone, unplug whatever I can. I have gas for heating , stove, cooktop, water heater and dryer- and I have higher electric bills than I could have ever imagined. When my husband was alive , our 2 sons also lived with us —-4 times laundry, cooking and lights on and our electric bill was 3 times less than it is now. Something is definitely wrong with your company and is obvious taking advantage of all of us
When I save electric and my bill drops
You’ll just raise the damn rates
How do you save on electric with radiant ceiling heat. The system is 53 years old and never had a dime spent on it. Tell me of any other system that you wouldn’t have spent a dime on. The system still works fine not the most efficient
Some great ideas in there. Thanks! I will put some timers to good use.
Siempre pensé que dejar los aparatos electrónicos o los apartaos de cocina enchufados, de alguna forma consumen energía ,,esa que ustedes identifican como fantasma. De ahora en adelante estaré atento a desconectar todos los aparatos que no se estén usando. Algunos equipos tienen una pequeña luz inofensiva que muestra que están encendidos, y la mayoría de la gente considera que no consume energía.
Maybe if you didn’t raise your prices every 3 months people would save $$ as well…. Just a thought.
The real phantom may be AEP its self.
Thank you!
Good Info ,Thank You
I enjoyed learning about the different cost saving tips that you provided. Thank you.
I had no idea that something plugged in but turned off could still be drawing electricity.
Good to know! I just unplugged my printer because I don’t use it often.
Good, practical advice.Thank you.
I don’t disagree with any of the suggestions offered, but they are really only helpful in the summer when we are trying to keep our homes cool. In the winter, the “wasted” electricity doesn’t just disappear, it is converted to heat, which we need anyway.
Really would like a good reasonable explanation as to how and why the electric costs have increased so much. Technology is really not an excuse, data centers should pay their own damn bills, Why can’t you take away the use of the energy windmills generate from the foreign countries and let Americans benefit from them, they are using up our farmland. Many corporations of all aspects are price gouging us all. What happened to you trying to lower our costs? Just saying but who the heck am I, just another person in the sea of many that won’t be heard.
Great to know
Thank you for these suggestions. Although I did know about a lot of them, my husband is not a great believer in un-plugging everything that is not being used.
I will suggest to him that we try it for a couple of months and see what the difference in our bill is and then decide if we should continue. I’m all for saving money !!
Thank you, I do some of these, but always like the tips so I can review what I may not be doing.
I already apply these suggestions, but as everyone else don’t see my bill lowered. Only to see it increase. I’m not a fan of shopping around for electric prices. What a joke.. AEP needs to stop having the consumer pay for extras that AEP should absorb those cost.