Do you have vampire power in your house?

Austin Public Library and Austin Energy are providing a service to help you find out exactly how much electricity all of your plug-ins are drawing (with power on and off ).  You might be surprised to discover that some of your every- day household appliances use quite a bit of electricity when they are plugged in but turned off. Called “phantom load” or “vampire power”, this energy drain can account for about 10% of an individual home’s electricity use – enough electricity to more than pay an electric bill one month of each year. Beginning October 15, you can check out one of the easy-to-use wattmeters for three weeks through any of the libraries. You will also find a good selection of books and materials on energy efficiency and conservation tips.  Plugging devices like the TV, DVD player, and DVR into a power strip and switching it off when not in use can save you a surprising amount of money.