What are ‘vampire devices’ and do they add to my energy bill?

A vampire device is a device that consumes electricity even when on standby mode.

As the number of electronic devices in our homes have grown significantly over the years, this can potentially mean a considerable amount of power being drained. This can lead to higher energy bills.

But by how much higher, if at all?

Set-up boxes

For example, a cable TV set-up box from Sky or Virgin Media when left on standby can cost £23.10 in per year as reported by the BBC. This is not surprising as these boxes are quite active, recording your favourite programmes and installing software updates even while on ‘standby’ mode.

It might be worthwhile to switch off your set-up box when not in use, especially overnight. But be warned, your favourite programmes might not be fully downloaded and ready to watch if you fully switch off your set-up box

TV standby mode

The standby setting of most TVs manufactured in the last decade is quite efficient and doesn’t drain a lot of power. Specifically, a TV on standby accrues on average less than £2 a year.

To help keep TV electricity costs low try switching it off when you’re not actively watching TV. For example, if you are cooking in the kitchen, turn off the TV in the other room.

Also, when you’re browsing on your computer/phone, don’t leave the TV on in the background, switch it off or put it into standby mode.

Can chargers overcharge batteries?

There exists other potential ‘vampire devices’, such as chargers used for phones and laptops.

Some people believe that even if your laptop or phone is fully charged and plugged in, the chargers continue to drain a large amount of power. However, this is not true.

Most chargers out there have modern circuitry. They can sense when your phone/laptop is fully charged and prevent overcharging and at this point will use very little electricity.

Verdict on vampire devices

While so-called 'vampire devices' do exist, with the rise of modern circuit-boards, most if not all household devices do not consume much energy while on standby mode.

Instead, the cost of heating contributes the most to our energy bills, rather than ‘vampire devices’.

Find out how simple actions can help lower your heating bills in the article below.