Installing a smart power strip (or an advanced power strip) in your home is a quick and easy way to start saving money while making your household a little more energy-efficient.

You may be asking yourself, “why should I bother with a power strip when I turn my electronics off, already?” The answer is quite simple: vampire or phantom loads, and no, this isn’t some cloaked villain that comes in and turns your electronics on when you aren’t looking. Vampire loads continue to consume energy even when your devices are in sleep mode.

And while you may already have traditional power strips in your home, keep in mind, if devices are plugged in, they will continue to use energy. Take, for instance, your smart TV, your laptop computer, and your cable box, all of these devices use energy when they’re off.

Smart power strips, however, can cut the power off and save energy since they can detect when a device is in standby mode. They look like ordinary power strips, but they have built-in features that are designed to reduce the amount of energy used by standby electronics that consume energy even when they’re not in use.

On the hunt for a smart power strip? Take a look at this guide! There are three types of smart power strips to choose from:

1Timer-equipped—These power strips have outlets that are controlled by programmable timers. Devices plugged into them can be scheduled to automatically turn off or on at designated times of day or night.

2Occupancy sensing—Occupancy sensing power strips have outlets that are controlled by a motion detector. Devices plugged into them can automatically turn off or on in response to your physical presence or after a user-defined period of time elapses (i.e., anywhere from 30 seconds to 60 minutes).

3Current sensing—These power strips can automatically turn several outlets off or on when they detect that a monitor (plugged into the “master outlet”) either enters a low-powered sleep mode, is turned off, or is turned on. Used in combination with monitor power management features, these power strips can turn just about any electric device off and on automatically.

Be sure to do your research to see which of these is the best option for your home! Over time, you’ll notice little changes make a lot of difference; save energy, save money!