Should You Unplug Electronics When On Vacation?

We have a vacation/honeymoon planned where we will be away from our home for about 8 days.  While we do have someone who is staying over a some nights, checking the mail, and neighbors popping in to keep an eye on things, my wife mentioned unplugging most of our electrical devices.

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She claims that on several trips she has unplugged just about everything in the house besides the fridge, sump pump, and essential to run items.  Doing this drastically cut her power bill for the time she was gone.  Thinking about it, in the past, I have unplugged things like the microwave and my router and that's about it.  The thought is that even when off but still plugged in, many items pull a decent amount of juice.

I consulted with Uncle Google on if it actually makes a big difference and there was not a lot of straight answers.  Many people make claims of saving up to 40% on their power bill from unplugging just about everything when traveling.  Others, including several energy based sites say that you should unplug as much as you can but that most modern devices don't pull as much energy when off as older ones.

I did find that Safety First ,The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, recommends unplugging electrical devices when not in use even when not on vacation.  Just for the fact of a chance of fires.  So I'll be making the rounds at the house unplugging as much as I can just for the added safety precaution, and if it saves a few bucks that's a win for me.  You can get more tips on how to conserve energy and thus save you money HERE.  Do you unplug your electronics when you travel?