PowerSafer
PowerSafer
Save electricity with a PowerSafer - a device which cuts power to appliances left in standby mode
energy efficiency | shopping
Many televisions, DVD players, games consoles, HI-FIs etc continue to use electricity even when they are
switched off using the remote control and left in
stand-by mode. A significant amount of energy (and money) could be saved if everyone physically turned off or unplugged these appliances when not in use. On average in the UK
standby power* is responsible for more than 10% of domestic electricity usage. This means the average household pay out well over £30 per year for wasted electicity.
*
You can use a UK Power Meter (from £20.99) to measure how much electricity you electrical appliances use in standby.
PowerSafer is an innovative German product which has the effect of turning off appliances at the main power button, but still permits the
remote control to be used to turn them back on again.
PowerSafer
PowerSafer
(pictured above) is simply plugged into the wall power point, and the appliance plugged into the PowerSafer via a standard 3-pin socket. PowerSafer can be used to with any appliance which has a physical on/off switch, and a remote control. After the appliance is put into
standby mode with the remote control, PowerSafer separates it completely from the power supply.
PowerSafer is currently available in two models
PowerSafer TV (PS 1.1) for controlling one television, and
PowerSafer Hi-Fi & AV (PS3.m) which will control TV's, DVD players, games consoles, hi-fi equipment, and home theatres. (
The new PSX model is mentioned at the bottom of this article.)
PowerSafer PS3.m can be used with up to four electrical appliances at the same time. The unit is extended by using a
multi block connected to the PowerSafer socket.
Benefits of PowerSafer
In addition to the obvious benefit of
saving electricity (and therefore saving money and
reducing emissions), the life of electrical appliances can be increased by 15% if they are not left in standby for hours every day.
In a typical home
PowerSafer should pay for itself easily within one year just in cost of electricity savings.
How Does PowerSafer Work
When an electrical appliance is put into
stand-by mode there is a detectable drop in power used. 10 seconds after
PowerSafer observes this drop in power it cuts the electricity supply to the appliance (by breaking a
relay contact). While in this
off mode, PowerSafer itself consumes <0.3 Watts of electricity.
PowerSafer has an
infra-red detector. When a remote control is used nearby, PowerSafer automatically switches on sending power to the electrical appliance(s). If, for example, you typically press the
power on button on the TV remote control to switch on the television, with PowerSafer you may have to press the button twice - once to wake up PowerSafer sending power to the television, and once to control the television which will still be in
standby mode.
When the appliances are on,
PowerSafer itself uses approximately 8 Watts of electricity.
PowerSafer PSX
At the end of May 2007 a new
PowerSafer model will be launched in the UK - the
PSX (pictured above). This will offer all the benefits of the current
PS3M model pictured earlier plus lightening and current surge protection.
Article Last Modified: 08:52, 19th May 2007
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