There is no tip from Colin this week. Instead, we have some advice of a different sort that can help reduce how much you'll be paying for electricity in the new year. Did you know that virtually every consumer electronics device, computer, battery charger and tech gadget that plugs into the wall continues to draw power from the socket even after it's "turned off?" Tell tale signs of this covert power consumption include status LEDs, vacuum flourescent display digital clocks, unused AC/DC adaptors that remain warm, and anything that works with an infrared remote control or boasts a 'quick start' mode.

For devices that are supposed to be "off," the continued power draw may be no more than 12W for a computer, 2-5W for a monitor, a couple of watts for the cable modem, DVD player, VCR, microwave oven, television screen, and assorted cellphone, digital camera and iPod chargers... but it all adds up. Over the 8,760 hours in a year it can add up significantly. The standby power load over a year may even be more than the unit drew while in use over that same period. This so called 'phantom power draw' occurs every second that a standby-power-sapping-electronic-device remains plugged in.

Most likely you haven't taken the simple step of adding a power bar between the wall and your electronics devices, but it's the most effective way to control standby power draw. Turning off the power bar closes you wallet on standby power sipping.

While it is hard to control the in-use power load of consumer electronics devices (which can be very inefficient), look for the Energy Star approved label. This indicates more efficient power use when the device is on, and for computers always stick to a power supply that employs Active Power Factor Correction (APFC).