Don't Be Scared by Energy Vampires!

Energy Vampires can strike any home!

With Halloween right around the corner, it's a good time of year to be aware of vampires!  Not Dracula or the characters of Twilight, but energy vampires.

Energy vampires are appliances that drain energy even when turned off or not in use.  Examples are one-use appliances, such as coffee machines and toasters.  Even lamps can drain energy when turned off but still plugged into a wall outlet.  Not only do energy vampires destroy an otherwise green household, but these appliances are a huge waste of money for any apartment renter.

Here are some ways to stop energy vampires during Halloween:

1) Watch the lights you use!

• Instead of incandescent light bulbs, switch to LED lights.  LED lights last longer and use less energy as well.

2) Be careful of your candles!

• Candles are perfect Halloween decoration, whether in a pumpkin or just on display!  Try to get 100 percent natural candles, made out of beeswax, that will burn cleanly.

3) Utilize solar displays!

• The sun and Halloween might not sound like they go together, but a lot of glow-in-the-dark decorations can "charge" all day out in the sun and then be put on display at night.  With no electrical component, these displays don't waste any energy, but create a "ghostly" atmosphere.

Grady Management, Inc. was founded in 1965 and continues to provide full service residential, commercial and consulting real estate firm in the greater Washington and Baltimore metropolitan area. Learn more about Grady Management on our website or Facebook page.