Woman shares simple hack to reduce electricity bill

A woman has gone viral on TikTok for one simple trick to lower electricity bills.

In a clip that's racked up over 17,000 likes, Kelley Cole (@kelleykelleykelley) shared the tip she learned from a patient 15 years ago.

"I've been doing it ever since. I used to do it hardcore. Now I do it softcore, and I do it softcore at my boyfriend’s house. Let me show you," she told viewers.

Kelley's clip shows her simply unplugging appliances in her kitchen, including her electric can opener, phone charger, coffee machine and toaster.

"It’s just unplugging. My patient called it energy vampires. He told me that when you have appliances, small appliances, any appliances plugged in, even when not in use, it will leech electricity and you’ll be charged for it," she explained.

"The small appliances on the kitchen counter, the coffee pot, the can opener, the toaster, all of those when not in use, unplugged. Laptops, iPads, [and] cellphones. When those are not actively being charged, they’re unplugged. If a lamp is turned off, it’s unplugged."

Energy vampires refer to unused energy when appliances are in standby mode or switched off.

"My ex-husband used to have power tools plugged in all the time and when I would pull up in the garage, I would see like a red light here, green light there, I would unplug it. He got so used to it," Kelley continued.

According to Gexa Energy, Kelley's theory is correct.

They acknowledge that while not every appliance needs unplugging – especially larger appliances such as fridges and washing machines – unplugging small devices could save the average American household around $100 to $200 each year.

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