By AYA DIAB

The lights are off, the house is quiet and nothing seems to be running. But electricity is silently flowing through the plugs in your home. This hidden drain is known as phantom energy.

Also called vampire energy, the wasted electricity comes from leaving devices plugged in when they’re not in use. That could range from household items such as phone chargers and microwaves to TVs and gaming consoles.

This wasted electricity accounts for about 5% to 10% of home energy use, depending on factors like the age of the equipment, according to Alexis Abramson, dean of the Columbia Climate School.

“Phantom energy depends on … what kind of systems you have and how much they’ve improved over time,” said Abramson.

For example, televisions that are connected to the internet and have smart wake features that allow them to interact with phones and other devices can consume up to 40 watts of energy during the hours of the day that the TV would normally be off, according to Matt Malinowski, director of the buildings program at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. That’s almost 40 times as much as a regular television.

“The good news is there have been new, renewed efforts to tackle this,” said Malinowski.

He said advocates and manufacturers have come up with a voluntary agreement seeking to reduce the amount of energy smart televisions use when they’re in standby mode.

Phantom energy contributes to climate change because power drawn by unused devices can increase demand for electricity from sources that release planet-warming emissions. Aidan Charron, associate director of Global Earth Day, said that while the amount may seem small when a person looks at their individual utility bill, the environmental toll of phantom energy is significant when multiplied over homes across the country.

“Just take a little step of unplugging the things that you’re not using,” said Charron. “It will save you money and it’ll save emissions in the long run.”

What you can do

Some of the main culprits when it comes to draining energy are appliances that are constantly connected to electricity, such as those with a clock.

“Do you really need your microwave to tell you the time, or can you unplug your microwave when you’re not using it?” said Charron.

While unplugging devices may seem burdensome, it significantly contributes to reducing emissions.

Charron recommends starting with small steps like unplugging chargers for phones and other devices once the battery is fully charged. The next step is moving to other appliances such as unplugging an unused lamp.

If unplugging sounds too hard, regularly checking your settings and disabling any extra feature you’re not using that could be draining energy help, too. For example, smart televisions often have optional features that can be turned off so the television isn’t listening for signals from other devices while in standby mode.

“If you’re not using it, then you’re getting no benefit, yet you’re paying the price and increased the energy use,” said Malinowski.

How individual actions can make a difference

Individuals also tend to take more sustainable actions, such as unplugging devices, once they learn what they can do to decrease their household emissions efficiently. Those actions could contribute to reducing U.S. emissions by about 20% per year, which equals about 450 tons of carbon dioxide, according to Jonathan Gilligan, a professor of earth and environmental science at Vanderbilt University.

The choices individuals take in their daily lives all add up, Gilligan said, mainly because of how much the U.S. population contributes to direct greenhouse gas emissions.

“The question becomes, what can we do to try to address this?” said Gilligan. “Phantom power is one part of this.”

The more individuals decrease their footprint, the more likely it is that others will follow, too, and eventually, those actions may turn to societal norms, according to Gilligan, because individuals don’t want to feel like they’re being irresponsible.

“This is a place where psychologists find that this effect is real. If people see that other people are doing actions to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, they want to do that” said Giligan.

When it comes to daily choices, individuals may think what they’re doing isn’t really making a big difference. But what they tend to overlook is how they influence others around them by choosing to live a more sustainable life.

The impact may be much stronger than a lot of people realize, Gilligan said.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

By STAN CHOE, Associated Press Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street is holding steady on Thursday as the countdown ticks to an update on the U.S. job market coming Friday that could clear the way for the cuts to interest rates that investors love.

The S&P 500 rose 0.2% in early trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 45 points, or 0.1%, as of 9:35 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.4% higher.

Treasury yields were also easing in the bond market following the latest discouraging signals on the job market. One report suggested U.S. employers, excluding the government, nearly halved their hiring last month. Another said that more U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, an indication of rising layoffs.

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Neither number is flashing a recession, but a slowdown in the job market could push the Federal Reserve to consider cutting its main interest rate for the first time this year at its next meeting in a couple weeks. So far this year, the Fed has been keeping rates on hold because it’s been more worried about inflation potentially worsening than about the job market.

Cuts to interest rates can give the economy and job market a kickstart, but they can also push inflation higher.

“The year started with strong job growth, but that momentum has been whipsawed by uncertainty,” according to Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP. She said several things could be behind the slowdown, including ”labor shortages, skittish consumers, and AI disruptions.”

A much more comprehensive report on the job market from the U.S. Labor Department will arrive on Friday, and it will likely carry much weight with the Fed. Ahead of it, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.19% from 4.22% late Wednesday.

Last month’s grim July jobs report, which included massive downward revisions for June and May, sent financial markets spiraling and prompted President Donald Trump to fire the head of the agency that compiles the monthly data.

On Wall Street, Salesforce was one of the market’s heaviest weights, even though it reported a better profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Analysts called the performance solid but suggested some of it may have come from one-time factors. Salesforce, which helps businesses manage their customers, fell 7.4%.

C3.ai tumbled 9% after reporting a larger loss for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Chairman Thomas Siebel called the results “completely unacceptable,” while announcing a new chief executive for the company, Stephen Ehikian. He was most recently acting administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration

On the winning side of the market was American Eagle Outfitters, which jumped 31.5% after the teen fashion retailer reported more than double the profit that analysts had expected. It benefited from a frenzy of media attention in late July over its intentionally provocative advertising campaign featuring 27-year-old actor Sydney Sweeney.

The ads — which featured the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” — sparked a debate about race, Western beauty standards, and the backlash to “woke” American politics and culture.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise added 1% following its own better-than-expected profit report.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed across Europe and Asia.

Indexes dropped 1.3% in Shanghai and Hong Kong but jumped 1.5% in Tokyo.

AP Writers Teresa Cerojano and Matt Ott contributed.

By KENYA HUNTER

In the fitness class Jessie Syfko created for a nationwide gym chain, exercisers wear weighted vests that add a challenge to their workouts.

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“People start to realize how good it feels to work just a little bit harder and a little bit smarter” without actually changing what they’re doing, said Syfko, senior vice president for Life Time gyms.

Weighted vests are increasingly showing up in fitness classes and on jogging tracks, touted by social media influencers as a way to keep bones healthy, improve performance and even accelerate weight loss. They are exactly what they sound like – vests that add resistance to the torso through pockets with removable weights.

But there’s a lack of robust research on their benefits, experts say, so it’s unclear how much of the hype is justified. And some people, such as seniors or those who are pregnant, should be cautious about using them.

Here are the potential benefits of weighted vests

When you think about how exercise works, the idea that a weighted vest will help you meet fitness goals like weight loss, muscle growth or preventing bone loss might make sense on the surface. Adding weight to the vest adds resistance to your everyday activities without changing up your patterns.

The vests may, in fact, offer benefits for healthy adults, experts say – although no one should expect transformative or instant results. Jeff Monaco, a certified strength coach who teaches medical fitness at the University of Texas at Austin, said while you may not lose a lot more calories during a weighted vest exercise, resistance from the vest may result in better sports performance over time.

“There are a lot of studies looking at (the weighted vest) from a speed perspective in different athletics, like soccer, with changing direction, agility and speed and so forth,” he said.

You’ll start to see those benefits by adding about 10% of your body weight to the vest, he said. If you weigh 150 pounds, for example, that would mean adding a total of 15 pounds to the vest.

Nora Capocci wears a weighted vest during an MB360 workout class at the Life Time health club in New York on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Shelby Lum)

But the research outside of sports isn’t as clear.

One 2020 study from Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina found that adults between 60 and 85 years old who wore weighted vests at times during the day when they were most active lost about the same amount of weight as those who didn’t wear them. They also lost the same amount of bone density, which happens as we age but can be slowed by building muscle.

Here’s how to use weighted vests safely

Experts urge people to use weighted vests safely.

It’s best to start out by adding between five to 10 percent of your body weight. Wearing a vest that’s too heavy can put unnecessary strain on your joints, back and hips. That extra load can throw off your posture, lead to poor form or even result in stress fractures over time.

Some people should consult with a doctor before they throw on a vest, said Dr. Elizabeth Gardner, a team physician for athletes at Yale University. They include people who are pregnant, suffer from heart and breathing conditions or have back or neck injuries.

You’ll have to use the muscles in your abdomen to use a weighted vest effectively, Gardner said, and this can be tougher for those already managing back pain.

Before starting to use a vest, Monaco said it’s always helpful to get guidance from someone who has experience with them, “just to make sure that your movements are good, your form is good, that you have enough muscular upper body, muscular strength and endurance to support that during your movements.”

But as long as you use it correctly, he said, a weighted vest can be “a good tool to have in your toolbox.”

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Hot take: Peak homebuying season is overrated.

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Sure, summer makes sense if you have kids in school. But wait until fall, and your patience often pays off. With less competition, buyers have more negotiating power.

This year, fall buyers have another advantage: Growing inventory. Housing supply hasn’t been this plentiful since May 2020.

If you didn’t luck out during your summer house hunt, be grateful. This fall just might be the best window for home buyers in the past five years. Here’s why.

Competition has calmed down

Back in 2021 and 2022, it felt nearly impossible to buy a house. Few places were listed for sale, thanks in part to the “rate lock-in effect” — homeowners clinging to their ultra-low mortgage rates. When a good listing popped up, buyers entered rabid bidding wars.

Until recently, sellers basked in the spotlight. But now the market is remixing, and it’s finally starting to feel like a duet.

Joel Berner, senior economist at Realtor.com, calls it a “buyer-friendly balanced market” — not quite a buyer’s market, but a noticeable power shift.

“What we’re seeing a lot of is sellers with some unrealistic expectations who list their homes maybe at prices they would have gotten in 2022, but it’s not 2022 anymore,” he says. “So they kind of have to do price reductions and negotiate with buyers more than they have in the past.”

An experienced buyer’s agent can help you understand how buyers in your market can flex this exciting new leverage. For example, you might be able to negotiate a lower purchase price, get the seller to pay for repairs or score some flexibility on a closing date.

Depending on your area, asking for all three still might be a stretch. Buyers have sway — not a magic wand.

Your friends are (probably) moving, too

After years of feeling stuck, buyers and sellers have recalibrated to the new normal of interest rates in the 6-7% range.

“Life happens,” Berner says. “People change jobs, people need to upsize, downsize. And, you know, that doesn’t always coincide nicely with mortgage rates.”

Housing inventory is measured in months’ supply, or the number of months it would take to sell all listed homes if no new ones came on the market.

In July 2025, the housing market had a 4.6 months’ supply of homes for sale, reports the National Association of Realtors — the highest number of houses on the market since before the pandemic.

Finally, the gridlock has eased. Buyers have more choice and don’t have to rush. In simple terms: “Higher inventory” just means more people are willing to move, whether or not that’s your literal social circle.

But when a friend lands a great new house, it might unlock your urge to browse listings, too.

Alexa Weber, a real estate agent with Hillary Ryan Group, Sotheby’s International Realty, has noticed the bandwagon effect among buyers. People like to see what’s working for friends or family before they make the decision for themselves, she says.

“Once they start seeing more momentum in the market — more properties going into contract, more properties closing — it gives them the confidence to move on their purchase that maybe they’ve been planning for a year or more,” Weber says.

Here’s the kicker: When mortgage rates eventually drop, all those friends and neighbors sitting on the sidelines will want to join the game. That could drive competition up again. So if you’re ready to buy, jump in now.

You could get a price break

Affording a home is still pretty tough.

Since early 2020, the median purchase price for a home has risen 55.7%, while wages have grown only 26.6%, according to a June 2025 report from ATTOM, a real estate data provider. The national median price in July 2025 was $422,400, according to the NAR, and year-over-year home prices have risen for 25 straight months.

Despite that broader trend, a few smaller wins this fall could add up.

First, home price growth is flattening. In July, the year-over-year gain was only 0.2%, suggesting that roughly half the country is seeing price drops, NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun noted in a news release. That’s another reason to team up with a local buyer’s agent who knows what’s happening in your area, Berner says. In many areas, prices are falling year over year.

“Really, there’s no such thing as a national market,” Berner says. “There’s just a bunch of local markets.”

Another score: In the fall, sellers tend to reduce prices for homes that have been on the market for a while. Plus, you can usually save a few bucks on moving costs.

Mortgage rates might drop

Finally, the wild card: Mortgage rates. Despite economic uncertainty, forecasts still expect average mortgage rates to drop slightly by the final quarter of 2025, with Fannie Mae predicting 6.5% and the Mortgage Bankers Association saying 6.6%. Of course, nothing is guaranteed. All eyes are on the Sept. 16-17 Federal Reserve meeting, which could signal optimism or pessimism for September mortgage rates and the months ahead.

Fractions of a percentage point do matter when it comes to mortgage rates. When you pay less in interest, it can lower your monthly payment or increase your purchasing power.

But avoid the temptation to time the market perfectly, Berner says. If a house meets your needs and works for your budget right now, that’s your cue. If rates drop, you can always refinance later.

“This is the most buyer-friendly market we’ve had since the pandemic,” he says. “So if you find what you’re looking for, jump on it.”

More From NerdWallet

How To Regret-Proof Your Home Purchase
How to Budget for a New Home So You Don’t End Up House Poor
How Much Money Do You Need to Buy a House?

Abby Badach Doyle writes for NerdWallet. Email: abadachdoyle@nerdwallet.com.

The article 4 Reasons Why This Fall Is the Ideal Time to Buy a House originally appeared on NerdWallet.