If you’re looking to save on those energy bills and help the planet out in the process, power down and unplug your electronics. Devices that are plugged into the wall, even if turned off, continue to consume energy. Appliances are either in passive standby mode (the clock on the microwave or oven) or active standby mode (the TV is off, but you’ve set TiVo to record). According to Good Magazine, it’s estimated that “vampire energy” costs U.S. consumers $3 billion a year so be conscious about hitting the power button or, better yet, unplugging your appliances completely when they’re not in use.

Here is one of the videos from our contest (winners announced April 14th!) that support this cause: