The county-wide electric company, OPALCO, is promoting a vampire-energy awareness campaign with bat rings and whistles and vampire teeth.

The point is that many home electronics are “vampires” that use up extra electricity, even while in “standby” mode.

“All devices have the potential to be vampire devices in the sense that it’s really the characteristic of sucking extra electricity while they’re in standby mode,” says Assistant U.S. Energy Secretary Alexander Karsner.

Vampire electronics can be DVD players, coffee makers, microwave ovens – even electric toothbrushes. They utilize microchips to suspend full power operation while in suspended standby mode.

The biggest culprit is the new plasma TV, says Martha Warachowski of OPALCO, shown here with the bat-ringed hands of OPALCO’s Vicki Lawson upon her.

The simplest solution to the “vampire-suckers” is to unplug the device until needed. To avoid the annoyance of constant unplugging, buy a power strip and use the rocker switch to minimize energy waste, advises OPALCO.

It is estimated that “vampire” electric use costs us three billion dollars a year, nationwide, says Warachowski.