Features
Cut your power bill by £100!
20080410 [Computer Shopper]
Green party: Green accessories for the home
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1 OneClick Intelliplug From £17 inc VAT From www.oneclickpower.co.uk The Intelliplug works like a standard multi-plug adaptor, with one key difference. One socket is the 'master', and the remaining 'slave' sockets provide power only when the master socket is in use. With a PC base unit plugged into the master socket and all else plugged into the slaves, everything works normally. Turn the PC off, however, and the power to the slave sockets is cut after a short delay, thereby reducing power consumption. |
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2 Bye Bye Standby £26 inc VAT From www.amazon.co.uk Bye Bye Standby provides a master socket that cuts power to connected devices when they're not in use. It only provides one socket, so you must plug in a gang plug if you want to oversee more than one device. It doesn't work automatically, and you need to turn it on and off by hand with the remote control. The remote can control multiple sockets independently, so if you need to power down lots of devices with one key press, this is the way to do it. |
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3 IY Kyoto Wattson £150 inc VAT From www.firebox.com Keeping a gadget plugged into the mains just to monitor how much electricity you're using is a curious way to save power, but that's what you do with the Wattson. With the wireless sensor clipped to your electricity meter, it monitors electricity consumption and provides a digital readout and PC-readable data. However, it's more high-tech lava lamp than serious scientific tool, and you'll cut a fiver off your annual electricity bill (not to mention save yourself £150) by not using one at all. |
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4 Power plug monitor £9.95 inc VAT From www.maplin.co.uk The best way for you to assess your electricity consumption is to use a power plug monitor. This is a £10 gadget that sits between a device and the mains supply. We use a similar model for our tests, and it's accurate enough for domestic purposes. It can display power usage in a variety of units, including kWh, and you can disconnect it once you've established what your greediest gadgets are. |
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5 Better Energy Systems Solio £50 inc VAT From www.amazon.co.uk Solar chargers for mobile phones are nothing new, but few are as cleverly designed as the Solio. Its folding tri-panel design makes it compact and easy to carry. The built-in battery, which can carry a charge for up to 12 months, can be topped up from the mains - handy if there isn't enough sunshine. If the weather is clement, Solio reckons about an hour of sunlight is sufficient to power an iPod for an hour, while a full charge is enough to recharge a mobile phone twice. |
