“Energy Vampires” still lurk in homes, but suck less

Refrigerators and air conditioners can be obvious energy hogs, but small appliances and electronics that draw electricity even when turned off will run up your meter, too, especially newer devices that require a constant Internet connection.

Known as “energy vampires,” the general category of quiet power-suckers includes audio speakers, televisions, DVRs, DVD players, coffee machines, computers, some cell phone chargers — even the digital clock on a microwave. A telltale sign of energy-sucking tendencies is a device that feels warm to the touch whenever it’s plugged in, even when not turned on.

This sort of standby power draw can account for as much as 10% of a household’s utility bill, according to past studies. It’s hard to gauge how much power is lost or extra money spent in individual households, but most agree it’s simply a good idea to unplug whenever possible.

Alan Meier, a scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, said the amount of power wasted by any one single device has dropped in the past decade, due to better technology and tighter regulations in some countries and states, such as California. But he said this improved efficiency has been offset to a degree by the proliferation of electronic devices in our lives that are constantly drawing power.

“In fact, it’s getting harder to buy electrical devices that do not draw standby power,” he said in an e-mail to the Free Press. Meier performed some of the earliest studies on energy use from home appliances and devices that are plugged in but not turned on.

Meier said the biggest vampires are items such as Wi-Fi speakers that work best and most conveniently when in constant communication with the Internet, which draws extra power.

“In these cases, pulling the plug or a switchable power strip will be an inconvenient solution,” he said. “Here again, government initiatives and technological advances will be required to improve power management.”

According to the lab, an individual product draws relatively little standby power, but a typical American home has 40 products constantly drawing power. Together the standby power draw of these items amount to almost 10% of residential electricity use.

Don’t invite energy vampires into your home

Some tips from the U.S. Department of Energy for protecting your home from needless waste and energy vampires. (No garlic necessary.)

■ Simply unplug a device when it’s not in use or when the battery is fully charged.

■ Plug several home electronics into a power strip and then turn off the strip.

■ Buy a dryer with a moisture sensor that automatically shuts off when clothes are dry.

■ Unplug the hair dryer.

■ Buy ENERGY STAR-rated appliances.

Apps track appliance energy use

DTE Energy launched a free mobile app, called DTE Insight, that allows about 1.5-million electric customers with smart meters to track energy usage in real time to make their homes more efficient. The app also is designed to help homeowners set and meet energy-saving goals and offers energy-savings tips.

The utility expects to be able to serve up to 3 million customers with the app by the end of 2017. It is available for free download on the Apple store, Google Play via DTE’s website.