BTW, I prefer the term parasitic loads. The word vampire brings to mind the old "vampire tap" on thick Ethernet cable. (You drill though the sheath, shield, and insulation to make a pressure connection to the center conductor of the cable to get access to power and signal.)
I agree. I think the term vampire for such things is greatly overused.
I post on another forum (shock horror, I know!) and vampire loads are routinely trotted out as our nemesis.
As always, it needs perspective. I don't switch off our main television. I ought to be hung, drawn, and quartered for that totally inexcusable behaviour according to some.
My appeal to the executioner is simple and based on simple fact.
In the standby mode, the television uses 0.9W. My tiny mobile phone charger doesn't get above ambient as far as I can tell with my sensitive temperature monotiring devices AKA fingers. . Stick your finger on a 0.5W resistor running at full chat - better still, don't - unless you wish to permantly alter your fingerprint.
Common sense, though not as common as it's purported to be, ought to indicate that if something gets hot it gets hot and dissipates heat. If it doesn't, it doesn't.