By — Stephanie Sy Stephanie Sy By — Andrew Corkery Andrew Corkery Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/are-vampire-devices-draining-energy-in-your-home-heres-what-to-do Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio Many people leave electronic devices plugged in when they’re not in use without a second thought. But everyday items that drain energy even when they’re turned off, like coffee machines, video game consoles and laptop chargers, account for 5 to 10% of nationwide home energy use. Stephanie Sy speaks with Alexis Abramson, dean of the Climate School at Columbia University, to learn more. Listen to this Segment Watch Watch the Full Episode PBS NewsHour from Oct 04, 2025 By — Stephanie Sy Stephanie Sy Stephanie Sy is a PBS News Hour correspondent and serves as anchor of PBS News Hour West. Throughout her career, she served in anchor and correspondent capacities for ABC News, Al Jazeera America, CBSN, CNN International, and PBS News Hour Weekend. Prior to joining NewsHour, she was with Yahoo News where she anchored coverage of the 2018 Midterm Elections and reported from Donald Trump’s victory party on Election Day 2016. By — Andrew Corkery Andrew Corkery Andrew Corkery is a national affairs producer at PBS News Weekend.