My short study...energy conserving surge protectors

[Golfer]

A little over 4 months ago I bought 3 Belkin Energy Conserving Surge Protectors. Two always hot outlets and the rest switchable.

The items not drawing power unless in use anymore are:

Computer Desk
eMac
2 printers
scanner
powered USB hub
media card reader
external SATA drive
iPod charger

Livingroom
57" rear projection TV
PS2
Wii
DVD player
VCR

Cory's room
32" LCD
Xbox
Stereo
iBook charger

In the past 4 months, compared to the same time frame last year, I've averaged between 9%-10% less electricity usage. Not as much as I was unrealistically looking for, but not bad (I was hoping for around 15% or a little more).

It is really convenient that each has it own remote, and the remote was the main reason I ordered this model. Just leave the remote on the table and hit the switch when you need to. Each remote can be set to control just the surge protector in that particular room, or one or both of the other surge protectors.

[AlphaDog]

First, I do understand there are better reasons to conserve energy than the cost of the electricity, but I am curious... They seem to run about $45 each, so how long do you calculate it will be before the initial cost will be amortized? This question is asked by the part of my brain that likes to run numbers. I also have another part of my brain that would do something like this simply because of the desire to conserve. And, yes, I knew I had to get my pitch in before someone else came in to chastise me for my "attitude."

[Golfer]

The saving comes out to $10-$12 a month for me. At that rate it should take me about a year for them to pay for themselves.

I realize they're kinda pricey, and it was kinda a 50/50 thing between buying them for the purpose of energy conservation and the savings accrued each month.

[Fred_Also]

My theory has always been that those generators are spinning all the time and if I don't use the power, it is wasted. Waste not, want not (or something like that).


Fred Also

[olnacl]

I'm with you on energy conservation. I didn't know about the remote switchable surge protectors so what I did was buy a wireless remote control outlet. I got mine from Surplus Computers for somewhat less than the price listed. With it I independently control all the accessories (monitors, speakers, chargers, etc for two computers. My printers are on the third switch.
I also bought a 2 outlet wireless controller at Costco that I use to control lamps in the living room.

By switching every light bulb in the house to CFL, turning them off when not in use, keeping the house at 80 degrees (used to maintain 77 degrees - this is South FL), and tinting SW facing windows I found my energy use dropped 30 - 50% per month compared to the same period a year ago. I've checked for the last 6 months and only this past month, with heavy A/C use because of unusually warm temperature (read, summer-like) did it even approach the use in the previous year for the same month.

[macphanatic]

Fred_Also wrote:
My theory has always been that those generators are spinning all the time and if I don't use the power, it is wasted. Waste not, want not (or something like that).


Fred Also

Theory doesn't meet reality in this case. Power generation is much more efficient these days.

[Racer X]

macphanatic wrote:
[quote=Fred_Also]
My theory has always been that those generators are spinning all the time and if I don't use the power, it is wasted. Waste not, want not (or something like that).


Fred Also

Theory doesn't meet reality in this case. Power generation is much more efficient these days.
gas turbine generators... the first 70% of their fuel consumption is just to spin them, only the last 30% of the fuel produces sellable power. But they produce A LOT OF POWER.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

I would love to save $12 per month on electricity. My bills in some months is only $15.

[ileneh]

Have you folks seen the blog I wrote recently on an energy-saving surge protector that we sell at OWC? Please take a peek.
Comments welcome!

http://blog.macsales.com/1136-save-compu...-protector

Thanks!
OWCilene

[macphanatic]

Racer X wrote:
[quote=macphanatic]
[quote=Fred_Also]
My theory has always been that those generators are spinning all the time and if I don't use the power, it is wasted. Waste not, want not (or something like that).


Fred Also

Theory doesn't meet reality in this case. Power generation is much more efficient these days.
gas turbine generators... the first 70% of their fuel consumption is just to spin them, only the last 30% of the fuel produces sellable power. But they produce A LOT OF POWER.
I should have been more specific. Utilities don't run generators when not needed. They run them as needed to meet load requirements so they aren't producing electricity that isn't used. I wasn't speaking to the efficiency in the production of electricity.

Note that all gas turbine installations are not that inefficient. Some plants use waste heat from the gas turbines to produce steam for heat or running steam turbines.