NEWARK, Del.  (October 31, 2016) - With scary and spooky creatures roaming the streets across the Delaware and Maryland service regions this Halloween, Delmarva Power provides tips to help customers ensure energy "vampires" don't drain you dry when it comes to your energy use.

Vampire energy, also known as standby energy, is the energy drawn from outlets when equipment is off but still plugged in. Many types of electronics and office equipment, including mobile phone chargers, computers, printers, game consoles, and more, continue to draw electricity while they are plugged in and turned off.  Phantom energy can account for 15 percent or more of the total electricity used by these devices.

The following tips can help you save energy and money.

• Use a power strip with an on/off switch to completely power down electronics around your home.
• Unplug your mobile phone charger, portable music player or other electronics once they are fully charged.
• Turn off all the lights when you leave a room.
• When preparing for out-of-town travel, always unplug all non-essential devices like televisions and other electronics.
• Look for the ENERGY STAR^® label on home appliances, electronics and other products. ENERGY STAR^® products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Discover where energy vampires may be haunting your home by requesting a free Energy Consultation. To request an Energy Consultation, visit www.delmarva.com/forms/dpl/other/energyconsultation.aspx or call 1-800-375-7117.

Find additional ways to save by visiting http://www.delmarva.com/my-home/save-money-and-conserve-energy/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/delmarvapower and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/delmarvaconnect. Our mobile app is available at www.delmarva.com/mobileapp.