Average ‘Vampire Power’ Costs $335 a Household, Smart Home Firm Says

Home energy monitoring company Sense warned consumers how vampire power can lead to expensive utility bills. Consumer electronics and other “always on” devices make up 23 percent of power consumption in the average U.S. household, costing residents an average $335 per year, it said, and about 10 percent pay more than $1,000 annually "to keep their gadgets on all the time.” Entertainment centers and audio systems are some of the biggest energy hogs, using $25-$60 a year in "vampire power," even when off, it said. “An Alexa here, a camera there, a couple laptops charging adds up,” said Sense, saying homes with 15 or more devices can spend $585 annually on vampire power.