It has been estimated that in an average home up to 75% of the power appliances take is used while they're turned off. The reason is that many tools and gadgets (televisions, stereos, computers, kitchen appliances) use small amounts of electricity non-stop. Thus it makes a lot of sense to unplug them when not in use.

To save electricity and money, turn off all lights and appliances when not in use. As many appliances and chargers still take electricity when turned off, it might be better to unplug them altogether. To make this easier, it is helpful to have an extension cord/power strip or an outlet that can be turned off - that saves you from crawling behind cabinets, reaching for cords. Plus, it enables you to turn everything off at the same time when leaving the room. Don't forget that also many cellphone and other chargers also keep on drawing small amounts of power when not in use, so unplug those, too.