Outlet Switch Fights Vampire Energy Usage
Are you too lazy to go around unplugging appliances when you’re done with them? Do you still consider yourself environmentally aware? Then maybe it’s time to look into purchasing the Harriet Carter Outlet Switch. The device— not to be confused with a power strip— is a current cutter that allows you to turn off electricity flow while appliances are still plugged in.
If you want to make life even easier, plug a power strip into the switch for the ability to cut electricity flow from multiple devices at once.
Most of the electronics we use every day—TV’s, DVD players, cell phone chargers—leech power even when they’re off, so Harriet Carter’s device could save some serious energy. And while it isn’t the only outlet switch on the market, its $5 price tag may make it the cheapest.
Photo Credit: Harriet Carter
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November 7th, 2008 at 11:01 am
30 years ago everything had a “ON-OFF’ switch that was a true disconect. Now everything has some memory and or a clock chip that looses its memory or time of day when the power is disconected. It is time to stop buying all this “kids toys”.
November 8th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
It must suck to be in the USA and not have switches on your wall sockets. We still have them on ours here in Australia which pretty well makes that device above a joke.
November 8th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
@ Tom,
Well, aren’t you special.
November 8th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Tom isn’t special its just Australia is smart.
We have a third earth wire too which makes it safer and being 240V there is less ripple problems.
November 9th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
I’m Australian and I have power boards with the switches, because the wall sockets behind the TV and computer are very inconvenient to reach, also have a power board where each of the 4 sockets on it has switch which gives flexibility, so not completely useless even in Australia.
November 10th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
So if this is supposed to help stop the leeching of power why does it has an illuminated on/off switch?
November 22nd, 2008 at 9:39 pm
So… what happens if you want to put *two* of those fancy illuminated switches on one wall outlet? Let me guess: the bottom switch is gonna be hard to reach, so people will either pull the switch out to turn off, or ignore it altogether.
Oh yes, and in New Zealand, we have the same outlet switches as the Aussies. Should be required worldwide, IMHO.
December 4th, 2008 at 12:05 am
[...] seen lots of tools recently to stop vampire power— the power used by electronics when they’re off and still [...]
December 31st, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Tom; great to hear that Australia is making progress. Last time I checked, standby power accounted for 5% of electricity usage in the USA, and 13% in Australia. How come?
January 12th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
[...] for another addition to the growing collection of devices that claim to stop vampire power (AKA power used while electronics are in [...]
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:52 pm
I have a Flex Capacitor !!! So whaaa!