Most home electronics are not only electricity vampires when they’re in use, but they also continue to draw power in "standby mode" even after they’ve been turned off. Energy burned by a device when it’s turned off is often called a "phantom load." The best way to prevent phantom loads from driving up your electricity bill is to unplug electronic devices from their power supplies. That can be done a couple of ways.

If you connect your devices to a power strip, you will stop the flow of electricity when you turn off the strip. That produces the same effect as completely unplugging the electronic device from the wall. Another option, if available, is to plug your electronics into an outlet connected to a wall switch.

If you’re skeptical about whether these phantom loads really make a difference, consider this: Almost 75 percent of the electricity used to power cable TV boxes, DVD players, televisions, computers, stereo systems, video-game consoles, and other home and office electronics is consumed when these products are turned off.

For the average home, phantom loads are estimated to spin the meter at a rate of 1,000 kWh per year. In other words, most people are paying the electric company an additional $100 annually for energy that provides no services whatsoever. So why not pull the plug—and stop being spooked by your electric bill?