Really Turn Off Your Appliances
 It's a little known fact that your TV actually costs you money even when you aren't watching it. All sorts of appliances actually draw power to run convenience features while they are turned off. This "leaking electricity" costs the average U.S. house 50 watts of electricity. Constantly.
Some appliances (like your entertainment equipment) use electricity when they are off to support features that allow them to: instantly come alive when you hit the on button ("instant-on"); remember channels you've set; recognize the remote control; and tell you the time at 3:07 am. To stop up these electricity leaks, you actually have to pull the plug. Or plug the appliance into a power strip (or surge protector) with an on/off switch and turn the switch off when not using the appliance.
If the thought of reprogramming your TV every day makes you break out in a sweat, unplugging the entertainment center is probably not an option. A better option for you is to look for equipment with the EnergyStar® logo when it's time for the old equipment to go to "a better place." EnergyStar® stuff leaks less electricity than other models.
Now look around your apartment for those black "wall pack" boxes (DC transformers) that are powering your portable TV, cordless phone, hand-held vacuum, answering machine, rechargeable tool, and electric toothbrush. As long as those boxes are plugged into the wall they are drawing 2-6 watts of power, even after the appliance is fully charged. (Don't believe me? Put your hand on one. It's warm. Yup, it's wasting electricity.) So unplug the wall packs for appliances that are not often used.
Finally, do you really need an electric toothbrush?
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