Why your electricity bill is so high

Even when you turn off your electronics, they could still be wasting electricity. When you press the off switch, many electronics, like televisions, DVRs and satellite boxes, go into stand-by mode.

During stand-by mode, electronics don't turn off completely. They perform updates, record your favorite shows and generally just wait for you to come back, sucking up energy as they do. This is called stand-by power or phantom load. The energy lost is called vampire energy or leaking energy.

According to the US Department of Energy, your electricity wasters account for 10 percent or more of your electricity bill.

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