Everyone is trying to save money these days along with striving to be more environmentally friendly. Most of us are doing the obvious things like carpooling, turning the heat down a few degrees, switching out old light bulbs to more efficient CFLs and LEDs, and even cutting back on eating out. But a lot of you are missing out on one easy money saving idea; standby energy loss. I’m sure you have all heard the term “Energy Vampire” before, but it comes as a big surprise as to how many people aren’t doing anything about it. For all us geeks that love our electronics and games, it could mean having enough room in our budget to get that new gadget or Star Wars figure.
As you may or may not know, many electronics products draw power even when they are turned off. This is called standby power, and it can add up to quite a bit of electricity when it comes to big screen TVs, home theater systems, stereos, computers, gaming systems, and other everyday electronics. To get rid of that energy sucking vampire, you need to get yourself a smart power outlet or surge protector that allows you to shut everything down when you aren’t using them. That used to be easier said than done, until now!
GeekAlerts was lucky enough to get our hands on the world’s first wall mounted one-touch smart power outlet with timed charging from Take Charge for this Take Charge PowerSaver Timed Power Outlets Review along with two of their other innovative power strips. Take Charge is based in Iowa and they pride themselves on finding ways to help you save you money and electricity while providing us with eco-friendly energy technology that helps us all live a little greener lifestyle.
With three models to choose from, you will be able to find the timed shutoff strip that works best for your application. First up for us was the Wallmount Timed Charger Docking Bay. This surge protector offers four outlets (three that are on timers and one that is always on), a charge LED indicator light, a surge LED indicator light, a start button for the 3 timed outlets, and a reset button for the circuit breaker. We found this this outlet to be perfect for the bedroom or areas that had permanent traffic.
PowerSaver wallmount with 3 hour timed charger docking bay and 4 outlets allows you to keep your devise plugged in without draining vampire power with 3 timer controlled outlets and one “always on” outlet. Not only does the PowerSaver extend the life of your battery by not overcharging, but also saves enough electricity, it will pay for itself in less than a year.
Set up was simple and it fit nicely into the wall socket next to my bed. This outlet is perfect for cell phones, smartphones, laptops, iPads, and all those other electronics you find in and around your bed. After you are done sending your last message and reading your last article on GeekAlerts, simply plug your device into one of the three timed outlets. This does three very important things for you. One, it makes sure that you device is charged come the morning time when you will need to use it again. Two, it saves you money by stopping vampire electricity use throughout the night. And three, it protects your very expensive (and in some cases, Apple ಠ_ಠ) irreplaceable rechargeable batteries from harmful over charging or electrical surges.
Did you know that a study done by the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicates that electronic devices currently account for over 20% of household energy consumption today? Think of all the money you could be saving if you had an outlet that remembers to shut off the electricity for you. Sadly I know after a long day of work, even I forget to turn off things and unplug things. Instead of wasting all that time running around and trying to figure out what needs to be off or left on, just spend a little time plugging all your electronics into one of these Take Charge power strips and let them do the work from here on out.
When you want it on, simply hit the start button and the electricity will start to flow. After three hours, Take Charge will do just that and shut it down for you…if you are still using the outlet, just hit the start button again to reset the clock for another 3 hours. These outlets are perfect for forgetful kids and us adults that seem to be always running around doing something.
The Smartstrip Surge Protector is slightly different than the other two models. It has 8 power-managed outlets; of the 8, two are always on outlets and one is a master outlet that controls the additional five controlled outlets eliminating standby electricity usage. This is perfect for computer workstations, small offices, or home entertainment systems. Simply plug in the master device, such as your TV or computer into the “master outlet” and plug the other supporting devices (printers, surround sound, PS3, etc.) into the “controlled outlets.” Once you power off the device that is plugged into the “master outlet”, the rest of your devices in the in the controlled outlets will power off. This saves a lot of time when you are done watching that movie and are ready for bed.
If saving money and being green sounds like a positive thing to you, GeekAlerts recommends that you take a look at the Take Charge power saving outlets. Loaded with features and backed by a $50,000 quality assurance protection plan, these affordably priced timed outlets would make a great Christmas gift this holiday season. With several styles and designs to choose from, you will be able to find the power saver that best fits your needs.
Personally, I found the Smartstrip Surge Protector with its master control outlet, 5 controlled outlets, and two always on outlets, perfect for my entertainment system. I was able to plug in my TV into the control outlet, while my home theater system, PS3, and Wii went into the timed outlets. All I need to do is turn off the TV and everything else follows suit automatically…I did leave my router and modem in the always on outlets for the simple reason that someone is always online in my house.
If you want to learn more go to Take Charge, where you can purchase these ecofriendly power stripes starting at only $19.95.