by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Stop leaving electrical items, such as computers, TVs, and others on standby and turn off those chargers – if you are in the UK where you can do that simply at the socket. Otherwise pull that charger out. The majority of them still draw current even when they are not charging. Same for power supplies for all those radios and whatever else.
Aside from the fact that this reduces you footprint on the environment it reduces pollution from the power stations and it can save you in the region of £45 per annum.
Either do it yourself, or use one or the other power-down product, whether this be “Bye, Bye Standby” or some other.
For PCs – those do not as yet work with laptops and netbooks – you can get the IntelliPanel or similar power strips and plugs that have a master socket and a number of slave ones; the latter ones getting turned off as soon as the master is powers down. They all work well. I know, I have tested some.
If you do not want to invest the £30 or so – unless you are lucky enough and get one of the Power Down units, made by the same people that make the IntelliPanel, given by the likes of the Energy Savings Trust – then you have the option of DIY, which is to say, turn the power off at the sockets. If you do not have the turn off option as we have in the UK then simply pull the devices or their power leads or -supplies from the wall. This is the simplest and cheapest way and option.
© 2009
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