Read the full post at NYT Green.
Before they leave the house, my friends in England literally pull the plugs on many of their appliances.
Perhaps it’s a vestigial reflex from the old days, when Victorian houses still had less-than-safe 220-volt lines tacked to the walls. But for whatever reason, when we’re off to the pub in Hertfordshire, the plugs to the television, electric teakettle and other power-hungry products are yanked before we go.
This plug-pulling has a side benefit as well, given that many appliances draw power even when they’re ostensibly off. Pull the plug and you might save a few bucks (or quid) over the year.
Belkin, the computer accessories manufacturer, is hoping to drive this point home with a line of power-conserving and monitoring products that it is marketing under the Conserve brand.