Electricity Savings

How to Use a Kill A Watt Meter: The Renter's Guide to Finding Energy Hogs (2026)

Kill A Watt meter measuring appliance energy use

Kill A Watt meter: measure before you try to save

By WattDweller Editorial Team · Updated September 24, 2026

If you’ve read our Vampire Power in Rentals guide, you know that hidden devices can drain $250–$400 per year from your electricity bill. And if you’ve read our How to Read Your Apartment Electricity Bill guide, you understand the anatomy of your bill.

Vampire Power in Rentals: 7 Hidden Devices Quietly Inflating Your Electricity Bill (And How Renters Can Stop It)

Devices silently draining electricity in a rental apartment

Vampire power: the hidden 5–10% on your electricity bill

By WattDweller Editorial Team · Updated October 8, 2026

Your rental apartment is bleeding money, and you don’t even know it.

While you’re asleep, at work, or on vacation, a small army of electronics in your unit continues consuming electricity. This hidden drain is called vampire power (also known as phantom load or standby power), and according to the U.S. Department of Energy, it accounts for 5–10% of a typical household’s annual electricity use.