I borrowed a professionel watt/watt-hour meter and audited the electrical gadgets around home.

Some things were to be expected, like my 12 year old air conditioner, which I've since replaced.

But others, like an old TV/VCR combination....that sucker consumed 26 watts while being off!!! If my math is correct, that sucker would consume 18.7 KwH a month doing nothing!! Needless to say, that has also been retired.

Screw-on fluorescent lamps offer a double advantage. The increased electricity-to-light conversion efficiency means much lower heat generation, which your A/c does not have to remove.

Wal-wart transformers, those pesky black boxes that plug in you wall to power anything from cellphones to cordless tools, are the proverbial drip in the faucet. Older, iron-cored devices consume 2 to 3 watts continuosly, doing nothing. Newer switchmode devices, consume less than 0.5 watt and are lighter.