from Jennifer in Medford, WI:
#198
We have heard the recommendations about plugging in your electrical devices to power strips so that they are not draining electricity unnecessarily. My question is, If so, is it a reduced amount of power (making it greener) or does the power strip need to be unplugged to actually save electricity? Also, if the switch on the power strip is turned off, does it still provide protection from electrical surges? (For example, a laptop would be plugged into a power strip that is turned off.)
When a power strip is off, it’s really off!
Great question! When a power strip is turned "off" it is no longer using electricity. Also, a power strip does not need to be unplugged to provide the energy savings, so simply turning it off will do the job. And even when turned off, a power strip still provides the surge protection it is rated to provide.
Some power strips have energy-saving features, which switch off the strip if appliances go into standby mode. (Appliances in standby mode are not really off – they are still using energy to power features like clock displays and remote controls.) Since the smart strip senses the standby mode and can shut itself off, this reduces consumption of standby power used by computers and other electronic equipment when not in use, saving you energy and money. For more tips on when to turn electronics off and using power strips, visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Saver Web site.
And, if you’re searching for new electronic products – look for ones with the ENERGY STAR! Products that have earned the ENERGY STAR use less energy to perform functions (even in “standby” mode), while providing the same performance and features as conventional models.
Published Monday, May 11, 2009