Duke Energy Florida shares tips for warding off energy vampires, saving money

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- This Halloween, Duke Energy Florida is reminding customers of the scary reality of energy "vampires" – appliances and electronics lurking throughout homes (TVs, cell phone chargers, coffee makers and more), using energy 24/7, even when they're turned off, idle or in standby mode.

Almost any device with an external power supply, internal battery, remote control, continuous display (including an LED) or constant network connection can be considered an energy vampire, so there can often be upward of 40 in a typical home, making up roughly 5% to 10% of a residential customer's total energy use. Fortunately, there are quick, simple actions they can take to ward off these silent energy – and money – suckers:

• Unplug devices when they're not being used, especially in places like guest rooms that may not be visited regularly
    
• Use smart power strips that automatically cut off power to devices when they're not being used
    
• Enable energy-saving settings, such as sleep mode, that are already built into some devices and help reduce idle time
    
• Choose energy-efficient replacements when the time comes, including ENERGY STAR^® products and newer technology – with the energy savings created, they often pay for themselves

"There are so many easy changes our customers can make around their homes to help them save energy and money. Pulling the plug on energy vampires is a great place to start," said Melissa Seixas, Duke Energy Florida state president. "Each device may not draw a substantial amount of energy on its own, but together, they can really add up and have a noticeable impact on bills."

For more information about Duke Energy Florida's energy efficiency programs, as well as low- and no-cost ways to help manage energy use, please visit duke-energy.com/savings.

Duke Energy Florida
Duke Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, owns 12,500 megawatts of energy capacity, supplying electricity to 2 million residential, commercial and industrial customers across a 13,000-square-mile service area in Florida. 

Duke Energy
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., is one of America's largest energy holding companies. The company's electric utilities serve 8.7 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, and collectively own 55,700 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas utilities serve 1.6 million customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio and Kentucky.

Duke Energy is executing an energy modernization strategy, keeping customer value at the forefront as it invests in electric grid upgrades and efficient generation resources to strengthen the system and serve growing energy needs.

More information is available at duke-energy.com. Follow Duke Energy on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook for stories about the people and innovations powering its communities.

Contact: Aly Raschid
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SOURCE Duke Energy