How to Slay Vampire Power in Your Room

We’re more than halfway through the semester, which means that students living on campus for the first time have probably (and finally) settled into residence hall living. But don’t get too comfortable just yet… Something is lurking in your room and draining power, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. That something is vampire power.

Vampire power, or standby power, refers to appliances that use electricity even when they are turned “off,” and continue to use energy and drain power. These appliances are commonly found in residence halls and include computers, game setups, monitors, phone chargers, printers, coffee makers, and other appliances that use an external power supply or batteries. You may not think twice about leaving your lights on when leaving your room “for just a little while” or keeping your phone charger always plugged into the wall; however, this unconscious behavior has repercussions: wasted electricity production and rising electricity bills.

Developing sustainable and energy-efficient living habits now will benefit you (and the planet) for years to come, especially as you transition into off-campus living and take on new bills and responsibilities. A few simple behavior changes can stop this unnecessary use of electricity, and allow us to live in a greener, more energy-productive environment:

1. Unplug appliances when not in use. Phone chargers, power adapters, and other devices that are not in constant use can be unplugged, as these still draw energy even when not connected to an end-use product.
2. Use power strips.  Flipping the “off” switch on a power strip has the same effect as unplugging each device, making it much simpler for you to completely disconnect the power supply.
3. Turn off your monitor and put your computer in sleeping mode. Turn your monitor off when briefly stepping away; at the end of the day, enter your computer into sleeping mode. While shutting your computer and monitor down completely saves the most electricity, today’s computers still use very little power when in sleep mode.
4. Utilize the power management settings on your computer. Low-power mode not only saves energy but also helps your devices run cooler and last longer.
5. Consider your options.  Consider investing in appliances that are more energy efficient and have a lower standby power consumption rate. Use an LED bulb in your desk lamp (LEDs are 90% more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs).
6. Turn the lights off when you leave the room. Additionally, try to keep the lights off as much as possible during the day by taking advantage of the daylight.