Seven to ten percent of your household electric bill may be from phantom power — appliances and gadgets that are turned off but still draw electricity. The phantoms include cell phone and iPod chargers, TVs and DVD players, printers and appliances in the kitchen.

For an easy solution, consolidate plugs onto a power strip, and then turn the strip off when you leave. Or buy a Smart Strip, which turns off individual plugs when the items are shut down. To find out what is hogging energy, use the Kill-A-Watt, a device that goes between your outlet and the plugged-in item that draws power. An LCD display reveals how much power the item uses, which can then be multiplied by what your electric provider charges per kWH. (both at smarthomeusa.com)