The scary, bloodthirsty vampire of legend always ends up having a lame analogue in real life, i.e. a tiny bat or mosquito. To further diminish the vampire's (das vampyr, if you want to get official, nerds) aura of danger, a new real-life manifestation has been discovered: Vampire Energy.
Vampire energy is when appliances in your home that are turned off still suck power from the grid. It seems wimpy, but it can add up to you paying hundreds of extra dollars per year in electricity bills, which in turn taxes the environment with your increased, fat-ass carbon footprint. According to a GOOD Magazine charticle with info from the Dept. of Energy (and with a neat-o vampire graphic), a turned-off but plugged-in computer eats $34.21 a year, a cordless phone base station snacks on $3.18, and a plasma TV swallows up a whopping $159.76. I guess it makes sense the "PLASMA" screen "SUCKS" the most "BLOOD" from your "WALLET," right? Right? Hahahaha —
OK, I'll stop. Check the full chart after the cut.
