SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- This Halloween, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) reminds customers that always-on vampire appliances suck energy out of homes or businesses every minute of every day, costing Americans $19 billion a year. PG&E has numerous ways for customers to save energy and money on their monthly bills.

Plugged-in electronic devices consume electricity regardless of whether they are being used or are turned off. These vampire appliances are estimated to add approximately $165 to a household’s annual electric bill nationwide.¹ Additionally, large commercial buildings waste an average of 30 percent of their energy annually.²

Customers can make some simple, no-cost behavior changes to help save on their bill and stay within lower-priced electric tiers. Here’s how:

• Say goodnight to spooky workplace energy wasters by making sure you shut down and unplug your modem, docking station and other equipment in your home or office,
• Unplug your terrifying TV and entertainment set when not in use at home,
• Scare away the vampires and let the sun shine in! Turn off lights when they are not in use and take advantage of natural light during the day at work or home, and
• Be like a mad scientist and be sure to use a smart power strip to reduce energy waste of appliances that are left plugged in.

“Simple behavior changes can make a big impact. Our goal is to help all of our customers make smart choices to save both energy and money not just on Halloween but every day. Through our Step Up and Power Down initiative, we partner with families, communities and businesses to help them reduce energy waste through energy efficiency programs and great cost-saving tips and rebates,” said Vincent Davis, senior director of Energy Efficiency at PG&E.

When energy saving behaviors become second nature, consumers can save more on their energy bills each month. This Halloween and as cool weather settles in, we encourage our customers to also beware of the top energy sucking appliances in the home or office:

• Fans
• TVs
• Cable and satellite TV boxes
• Computer modems
• Desktop and laptop computers
• Entertainment center equipment
• Printers
• Cell phone chargers
• Coffee makers
• Microwaves

To learn more about energy efficient products and rebates on certain appliances, visit PG&E’s Marketplace at http://marketplace.pge.com/. Also, visit www.pge.com/saveenergymoney to learn how to save more energy and money.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and www.pge.com/en/about/newsroom/index.page.

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¹ National Resources Defense Council, “Home Idle Load: Devices Wasting Huge Amounts of Electricity When Not in Active Use,” May 2015, http://www.nrdc.org/energy/files/home-idle-load-IP.pdf.

² US Department of Energy, “About the Commercial Buildings Integration Program”: http://energy.gov/eere/buildings/about-commercial-buildings-integration-program

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20151028006248/en/

Source: Pacific Gas and Electric Company