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Connecticut News
Local News
Don’t let vampire power suck the fun out of spooky season
Oct 23, 2025
energy efficiency
vampire power
Eversource shares simple steps to reduce energy use from “standby power”
BERLIN, Conn. (October 23, 2025) – Ghosts, skeletons, and goblins will soon freely walk neighborhood streets asking for sweet treats, and Eversource is alerting customers they may have already inadvertently invited vampires into their homes and businesses. Vampire power, also known as phantom load, ghost energy or standby power, is electricity that is consumed by some appliances and electronics even when they’re turned off. If not kept in check, it can account for up to 10 percent of a household’s energy use and cost as much as $100 a year, according to the Department of Energy.
One simple way to eliminate the energy drain is by unplugging devices like gaming consoles, laptops, toasters and coffee makers when not in use. Even without a device attached, a plugged-in charger is constantly using electricity, so once a device is charged, unplugging it prevents additional energy usage. While it can be inconvenient to constantly plug and unplug certain devices, using a power strip with an on/off switch can help keep it simple because a quick flip of the switch prevents standby power for any device on the strip.
“We all have electronics in our homes that are using electricity without us even realizing it, and the more electronics or appliances you have in standby mode, the more it can add up on your energy bill,” said Eversource Energy Efficiency Manager Ricardo Jordan. “Taking the time to unplug devices or turn off power strips, especially when you’re going away on vacation, is just one simple way to lower energy use a little bit. But stopping phantom power from haunting your electric bill isn’t the only way to control usage; we have a variety of energy efficiency programs and solutions available that we hope customers will take advantage of.”
Find out more about the energy efficiency programs available that can lower usage and impact bills.
Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, is recognized as the #1 U.S. utility on TIME’s List of World’s Best Companies for 2024. Eversource transmits and delivers electricity to 1.3 million customers in 157 cities and towns, provides natural gas to 254,000 customers in 85 communities, and supplies water to approximately 225,000 customers in 60 communities across Connecticut. Eversource harnesses the commitment of more than 10,000 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The #1 Energy Efficiency Provider in the Nation, the company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like a first-in-the-nation networked geothermal pilot project, solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com.
CONTACT:
Tricia Taskey Modifica
860-665-4605
Jamie Ratliff
860-665-6056