Household vampires

Home Appliance Script (NAT TV) AL SHAINE SAYS THAT IN HIS APARTMENT, THE T.V. IS ON MORE THAN IT'...  More »

Home Appliance Script (NAT TV) AL SHAINE SAYS THAT IN HIS APARTMENT, THE T.V. IS ON MORE THAN IT'S OFF. (NAT TV) SO IS HIS COMPUTER. Shaine – 29:31 I'm kind of guilty of leaving things on when I'm not around. LEAVING APPLIANCES ON SURELY CONSUMES ENERGY AND MONEY, BUT YOU MAY BE SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT WHAT'S REALLY ON AND TRULY OFF IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR ELECTRIC BILL. Shaine – 28:33 I kind of assumed my appliances, my laptop, was draining some sort of energy if I left it on idle. But I never had a sense it was costing me real dollars every month. THAT'S RIGHT. SHAINE'S LAPTOP COMPUTER IN STANDBY MODE IS COSTING HIM 15 CENTS A MONTH. THAT'S ACCORDING TO THIS KILL-A-WATT METER THAT MEASURES HOW MUCH AN APPLIANCE COSTS BASED ON A HOUSEHOLD'S KILL-A-WATT HOUR RATE. COMPUTERS ARE CALLED VAMPIRE APPLIANCES. THEY'RE ONE OF MANY APPLIANCES IN THE HOME THAT SUCK ELECTRICITY EVEN WHEN THEY'RE OFF OR IN A STANDBY MODE. OTHERS INCLUDE TVS, COFFEE MAKERS, DVRS, CABLE BOXES, PHONE CHARGERS, AND MICROWAVES. (Ronnie Kweller- Alliance to Save Energy) "If you want to have the clock running on the microwave or VCR, you're going to be using some energy in the off mode. SHAINE'S T.V. IS $5.67 A MONTH IF LEFT ON. BUT WHEN IT'S OFF, IT ACTUALLY CONTINUES TO DRAW A SMALL AMOUNT OF POWER…15 CENTS WORTH A MONTH TO BE EXACT. THAT'S SO THE TV CAN RESPOND TO THE REMOTE CONTROL WHEN YOU PRESS THE ON BUTTON. SHAINE'S COMBO CABLE/DVR BOX RACKS UP $2.34 A MONTH IN STANDBY MODE. HIS DVD PLAYER… 30 CENTS A MONTH. (NAT – making coffee) LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE, SHAINE NEVER UNPLUGS HIS COFFEE MAKER. THAT ADDS 15 CENTS A MONTH ONTO HIS ELECTRIC BILL. HIS CLOCK RADIO COSTS 30 CENTS A MONTH, AND HIS CELL PHONE CHARGER EVEN SLURPS ENERGY WHEN IT'S NOT CHARGING HIS PHONE. THAT'S 7 CENTS A MONTH. (STANDUP) According to the Department of Energy, vampire appliances account for about 5 to 15 percent of a home's electricity use. So if your monthly electric bill is $100, you could spend up to $15 on standby power. (Kweller – Alliance to Save Energy) It's just another way that our energy is being wasted in this country, our money is being wasted, pollution is being created. IN SHAINE'S SMALL APARTMENT, THE AMOUNT OF ELECTRICITY THAT HIS VAMPIRE APPLIANCES SUCK UP IS ABOUT 7 PERCENT OF HIS ENERGY USE OR $3.83 A MONTH. BUT IF HE HAD MICOWAVE ($.30/month)…A CORDLESS PHONE ($.30/month)… THIS INKJET PRINTER ($1.43/MONTH – show cost)…MULTIPLE TVS (4=$.60/month) AND DVRS (2=$4.22/month)… HE WOULD SPEND NEARLY 7 DOLLARS MORE A MONTH. WITH ENERGY COSTS ON THE RISE, SHAINE DOESN'T WANT TO FEED THOSE THIRSTY VAMPIRE APPLIANCES. (Shaine – 28:57) "I'm going to be a graduate student now, money's tight so in the next couple of years I'm going to be keeping an eye on what's plugged in and how long it's plugged in. TO SAVE MONEY, ENERGY ANALYSTS SUGGEST RUNNING THESE APPLIANCES THROUGH A SWITCHABLE POWER STRIP, MAKING IT EASIER TO COMPLETELY TURN THINGS OFF WHEN THEY'RE NOT NEEDED. LOOK FOR THE ENERGY STAR LABEL. (Kweller) That's the government's symbol of energy efficiency. OR SIMPLY UNPLUG. (Shaine – 31:16) "When I leave in the morning, I think I'm going to try to turn off my computer, unplug my computer, unplug the television because there's no reason for that to be plugged in when I'm not in the apartment. THEY'RE SMALL STEPS THAT COULD KEEP MONEY IN YOUR WALLET AND OUT OF THOSE LURKING VAMPIRES IN YOUR HOUSE. FOR UPI.COM, I'M KRISTIN VOLK.  « Less