“TV’s, lap tops and a ton of smaller lights and stuff that all have those little black boxes for plugs.”
Those little black boxes are called DC rectifiers, you are indeed using AC current as these small black boxes convert from AC to DC. Older ones that are plugged in and not used much (like older phone chargers and laptops) are often called vampires as they suck current whether they are used or not, however not big draws.
Check your bill closely, likely you are being charges all kinds of things under different names, ours has a “distribution” segment which is often half the bill! These utilities code much of their billing under different segments to offload you a monthly bill even if you unplug the entire mobile unit, house, etc.
All of those special and mis-named fees are there to dodge most states’ laws about not passing new taxes without the state assembly voting for it.
Fees = taxes. But, if the politicos admitted they were a tax then the dumb bastids who sit on their butts instead of voting might actually practice some measure of democracy — like voting. So, the politicos repackage the taxes as fees and permit utilities to put them on your bill.