3. How Much Do Energy Vampires Really Cost You?

I recently read a blog post testifying to the fact that getting rid of "Energy Vampires" (all of those electronics that are plugged in and not being used), saves hundreds of dollars a year. Unfortunately, what that person did in order to save that much money, was to unplug EVERYTHING that wasn't in use—including their Internet router, TV, clocks, lamps, microwave, washer, dryer, etc. I think they stopped at unplugging the refrigerator and freezer.

I am all for unplugging things when not in use, but I kind of limit that to things that I can easily access like the toaster, the coffee maker, the cell phone charger, etc. I'm sure not going to get on a step ladder to plug in the microwave, which is over my stove, every time I want to use it (which is quite a lot actually).

As far as other things (especially things that have clocks), I don't have enough time to unplug and replug these things, then go about resetting them. (Besides, what's the point of having a clock if you unplug it?)

I read another article, in which an engineer went about actually measuring the amperage of each item he left plugged in and what he discovered was, the older your electronics (printers, cell phones, computers, etc.), the more "phantom electricity" they will use. So, yes, you should unplug these when not in use. However, he discovered that the newer electronics (and by "newer" he meant anything made after 2005) used very little electricity when plugged in or in stand-by mode. In fact, he calculated that the amount these items used on a monthly basis didn't even equate to two cents worth of electricity in total.

Of course there are many variables that are involved here, including:

1. Your electric rates 
2. What else you use electricity on in any given month (lights, heat, hot water)
3. How recently your home's electrical wiring & outlets have been updated
4. How big your home is
5. The age of your electronics
6. The quantity of electronics you have plugged in
7. The number of people in your house using electronics / electricity

It is nearly impossible to say with any assuredness that you will save X amount of dollars per month or year by unplugging these things.

One suggestion I've read a lot is to plug everything into power strips and turn the power strip off when not in use. Of course, your power strip is still plugged in and still drawing the slightest bit of electricity, but that might just be nit-picking.

I tried unplugging what I could remember to unplug for an entire month. I wasn't as hard core as the first guy about it, but I wasn't a slacker about it either. I unplugged lamps that we rarely use. I unplugged my computer, cell phone charger, tablet charger, etc. when not in use. I continued to unplug the toaster and coffee maker. I even unplugged the Wii that we rarely use. All of this, and my electric bill didn't budge.

What DID effect my electric bill:

• Lowering the temperature on the thermostat (in the winter)
• Turning off lights when not in use (& using LED bulbs)
• Cooking in the crock pot a couple times a week (instead of on the stove or in the oven)
• Air drying the laundry

Those changes were enough to reduce my December electric bill by almost $25 from the previous month. (Of course, January has been a much colder month than usual, so the electric bill will probably go back up.)

If you've had luck with unplugging those Energy Vampires, I'd love to hear it and how you went about doing it.