The document highlights six ways to identify and eliminate 'energy vampires' in homes, which waste electricity and increase bills, costing Americans billions annually. Key areas of focus include unplugging devices in standby mode, sealing windows and attics, maintaining furnaces and water heaters, using programmable thermostats, and limiting exhaust fan usage. Implementing these strategies can result in significant energy savings and a reduced environmental footprint.

1. Energy Vampires
6 Ways Energy Vampires Suck Up Your Energy and How to Stop Them
It doesn’t have to be Halloween to see a vampire lurking in your midst. Wasted electricity costs
Americans more than 3 billion dollars every year. Old or inefficient heating systems cost billions
more. If you are living on a budget or concerned about the environment, then you need to go
through your home and find the energy vampires that are needlessly sucking energy and driving
up your bills, saving you hundreds of dollars a year.
1. Electronic Devices
“Standby mode” is not the same as “off”! Putting an electrical device into standby mode leaves
it continually using power, even while it seems to be doing nothing. A computer in standby
mode can use more than 300 kilowatt-hours a year. Keeping your DVD player in standby to
record a show keeps the device powered just so it can keep track of the time while it is waiting.
These and other standby mode energy vampires could be costing you as much as $400 a year.

2. You should shut off all your electronic devices when they are not in use. You should also unplug
your phone, camera, and laptop chargers when they are not actually being used. Unplug all
your adapters as well. These devices keep drawing power as long as they are plugged in.
2. Windows and Attics
Unsealed windows, doors and attics are also often energy suckers as well. Energystar.gov states
that “The attic is usually where you can find some of the largest opportunities to save energy in
your home. By air sealing in your attic, you can stop many major air leaks and help to maintain
the desired temperature throughout your home. Combined with attic insulation, air sealing can
help to alleviate the formation of dangerous ice dams in the winter.”
Seal them with plastic in the winter prevent warm air from escaping through the gap between
frame and window. You should also seal your attic entrance with plastic during the winter.
Warm air rises, so sealing off the attic will keep it in the parts of your house that you live in.
You should also check that your windows and door are not leaking air. Caulk, weather stripping,
and draft excluders at the bottoms of outside doors during weather extremes can help
tremendously.
3. Furnaces
Your furnace may be one of the worst energy vampires in your entire home. Dirty air filters may
be impairing its efficiency and wasting power. Check them, clean them, and/or replace them if
they can’t be cleaned. You should also run your hands over the heating ducts while the furnace
is running, feeling for leaks of warm air. If you find one, seal it with aluminum tape (found at
your local hardware store). It is designed for use in hot areas. Never use duct tape for this
repair. As many uses as it has, it doesn’t stick very well to warm ducts.
4. Water Heaters

3. You should also check the temperature setting on your water heater. Chances are, it is set
above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This is higher than it actually needs to be. Setting it to 120
degrees will still give you comfortably warm water and it can also saving you hundreds of
dollars a year.
Want to save even more? Turn off electric heaters and turn down gas heaters if you are out of
the hours for extended periods of time, like vacations or business trips. You should also wrap
your water heater in an insulating jacket. By increasing the insulation, you can slow down heat
loss through the water heater walls.
5. Thermostats
Buy a programmable thermostat and set it to save you money while you’re asleep or away from
house. Modern thermostats have a pre-programmed energy-saving setpoint that you can use
as a guide that allows for setting the temperature back in the winter and up in the summer. It
also may have a vacation setting to maintain energy-saving temperatures when you are gone
for several days.
If you want to save even more. Ceiling fans can help circulate energy. Also, don’t run your heat
or air conditioning when the windows are open.
6. Exhaust Fans
You should try to avoid using exhaust fans unless you really need it. These push warm air
outside in the winter and cool air out in the summer. This makes your furnace or air conditioner
work overtime.
Need help with optimizing your home?
With a little effort and the change of a few habits, you can cut your energy bills and leave less
of a footprint on the environment. You can use the money that defeating these energy
vampires can save you for much more necessary or enjoyable purposes.

4. Same Day Service Plumbing, Heating & Air can help optimize your heating and cooling, and if
needed, replace your entire system with an Energy Star compliant unit that will, in the long run,
make your investment pay for itself. Contact us for your help in keeping those energy vampires
out of your home.