Recently, the media has paid a lot of attention to the fact that simply by having appliances plugged in, energy is wasted. The latest figure state that in the average American household, 5% of the electricity used is wasted on items not in use. Converting that into dollars, it’s about 4 billion dollars a year in wasted power. The U.S. Department of Energy states that figure is on the rise and by the year 2010 could be as high as 20%.

California government is the first state to try to crack down on the problem. Last year, lawmakers in the state passed a proposal, humorous dubbed the Vampire Slayer Act. The Act proposed that labels are added to consumer products to inform the user how much power they use when the product is on, off and in standby or sleep modes. If nothing else, this system seems to be a gentler reminder to the consumer so they know how much they could be saving themselves in electric bills alone.

So how can people cut down on wasted energy? There are several ways that everyone can do their part without changing too much in their day to day lives. Here are some helpful tips for your household:

• Take note of all the appliances, consumer electronics, and chargers that are plugged in your house currently and those you use on occasion. See if there are any non-essential products you can easily unplug. Some examples: cell phone chargers, camera batter chargers, and video game systems, guest room lamps and clocks.
• Be sure to check the guest room too. It might be rarely used so unplugging the alarm clock, the television and the lamp won’t interfere with day to day household operations.
• Turn off your computer at night at the office. Most people hate waiting for it in the morning, but take that time to check your messages, get a cup of coffee or chit chat with co-workers for a minute.
• Use power strips so you can turn off several items at once. There are even “Smart Power Strips” available that actually turn off products for you.