Oct. 30, 2009 (Business Wire) -- Vampires . . .and ghosts and goblins too . . .may be cute when they are trick or treating at your door, but they are not when they are wasting energy and costing you money. PECO encourages customers to save energy and money by preventing unnecessary, ‘vampire’, energy use in their homes.

Many of the most common home electronics – like computers, televisions, stereos and smaller kitchen appliances – can also be the biggest energy users. Most often left plugged in, these electronics continue to use power even when they are not in use. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 75 percent of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed when they are turned off, adding up to 10 percent to customers’ monthly electric bills.

One of the easiest ways customers can save energy, and money, is by reducing unneeded energy use in their homes. Customers can follow these easy PECO tips to stop ‘vampire’ energy use at Halloween and all throughout the year:

• Use a power strip with an on/off switch to fully power down home electronics while in standby mode.
• Use a power strip for multiple battery chargers so it can be easily switched off when not actively charging.
• Unplug your charger for your cordless phone, portable music player or other portable device after its recharged.
• Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use. Alternatively, set to hibernation or sleep mode rather than using screen savers which do not save as much energy.
• Unplug or switch off all nonessential devices when preparing to travel out of town.
• Look for the ENERGY STAR® label on home appliances, electronics and other products. ENERGY STAR® products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

For more energy saving tips, and information on PECO discounted CFL bulbs and other energy saving products visit www.peco.com/SAVE.

Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC). PECO serves 1.6 million electric and 485,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania and employs about 2,400 people in the region. PECO delivered 83.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas and 39.4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2008. Founded in 1881, PECO is one of the Greater Philadelphia Region's most active corporate citizens, providing leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts and culture, education, environmental, economic development and community programs and organizations.

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