News Releases

ALLENTOWN, Pa. (Oct. 29, 2019) -- At PPL Electric Utilities, we’re handing out energy-saving advice this Halloween with tips on how to cut down on phantom load, or energy vampires, that can wastefully suck up power and cost the average household more than $100 a year.

No relation to blood-consuming vampires of folklore and fiction, energy vampires are appliances or other plugged-in devices that draw energy, or phantom loads, when they are plugged in but not in use. The federal Department of Energy notes energy vampires include products that continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off, like coffee makers, cable boxes, DVD players, TVs, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances.

According to the DOE, you should unplug electronics, or use a power strip that can be turned off to cut all power to appliances, to avoid vampire loads.

Beyond scaring off energy vampires, there are various other way to help reduce your electric bill through energy efficiency.

• Use ENERGY STAR® appliances and office products. More and more people are working from home, which means more electricity use there. If you’re not being energy efficient, you’re losing out.

• Use the sleep mode or power management feature on your computer.

• ENERGY STAR-labeled computers use 30%-65% less energy than computers without this designation, depending on usage. Consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade; laptops use much less energy than desktop computers.

• Don’t forget to check out PPL’s Marketplace at pplelectric.com/marketplace where you can save on energy-efficient equipment like programmable thermostats and LED lighting.

• Temperatures are dropping, so make sure you get your furnace serviced for peak performance this winter. And don’t forget to change out dirty filters that can reduce efficiency.

• Check out savewithppl.com to see the variety of rebates and energy efficiency programs that can help you and your family stretch your energy dollar.

PPL Electric Utilities provides electric delivery service to more than 1.4 million homes and businesses in Pennsylvania and ranks among the best utility companies in the country for customer service and reliability. PPL Electric Utilities is a major employer in the communities it serves. It is a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL). For more information visit www.pplelectric.com.