Saving Electricity with Smart Strip Surge Protector

It has been a constant struggle trying to remember to unplug appliances that aren't being used. I've caught myself walking away from both the toaster and blender without unplugging them. Pulling cords from electrical sockets after my roommates has also become frustrating. (They made no promises to participate, and I suspect they get agitated when they have to fish around for the cords.) In my solo quest to reduce my carbon foot print I have been trying to remember to switch my power strip off when I go to sleep or leave the apartment, but this has also been a failure.

While browsing on the web this evening I finally found a solution! Its called the Smart Strip Surge Protector. It does more than just protect your computer from power failures; it stops the flow of electricity to your "peripherals" when they are not in use. So how does it work? The device has color coded system that identifies one outlet, the blue one, as a control, and so whenever this devise goes into energy-saving mode or is turned off manually, the strip blocks energy flow to the other components. For example, in a home office, or your desk set-up in college apartment or dorm, your computer would be the control, which triggers the blocking of the current to other devises when it is booted down or the screen saver turns on. This means no more bending down to turn the power strip off, if you could even remember to do so in the first place... These could also be helpful in the living room. With the TV as the control, you could stop energy waste to lamps and air fresheners when the room is not in use. The strip also has a couple of red outlets which are never blocked from getting energy. Devises that may need to receive energy all the time would be alarm clocks or VCRs to prevent them from resetting.

The strip costs around $30, only about $15 more than your standard power strip, and it will save you money on your next electric bill! The only place I could find that sells these online is amazon.com, but I suspect they will hit stores soon.