Preventing 'Power Vampires': Smart Power Strips and Other Cool Gadgets from Smarthomeusa.Com

Erin Burt's recent column in Kiplinger.com gave yet another boost to smarthomeusa.com's Smart Power Strip, a device that cuts the money-wasting trickle of electricity that many modern gadgets quietly keep pulling through your power meter, night and day. What else does smarthomeusa.com have that could save you money and energy and even add convenience?

TV shows from Oprah to CBS News are talking about the Smart Power Strip, a simple idea for around $40 which can make a big difference. Most gadgets these days, from computers to DVD players, draw some power all the time. Examples of functions that require this constant drain include clock displays, circuitry to respond to remote control commands including 'Power On,' and standby modes such as 'timer record' on VCRs and DVRs.

The Smart Power Strip can also, with an attachment available at smarthomeusa.com which provides more space, reduce the constant drain of those little cube transformers and chargers. The key to the Smart Power Strip is that it can sense power flowing through it, and when it knows that you have shut down your main device such as a computer, it takes care of shutting down everything else. At home, this could save big money over a year's time, while in a business using these strips could be a significant cost saving from day one.

In addition to Smart Power Strips, smarthomeusa.com also offers power meters that will show you your power usage, such as the 'Kill a Watt EZ' and the 'Blue Line Innovations BLI 28000' which provide on the spot or remote monitoring with programmable utility costs by rate and time of day which show you the dollars and cents as well as the watts that you're saving, and help you monitor usage patterns to save even more.

If you are automating some of your home's features such as window shades, installing an alarm system or using remotely controlled light switches, smarthomeusa.com offers EnOcean's self-powered devices. These use resources such as solar cells to eliminate batteries and power drains associated with remote control systems.

If you travel on business or vacation, you may find you occasionally worry about leaving the house unlocked or with the heating and cooling system running full tilt when no one will be home for days. Devices from Proliphix and Schlage provide web-enabled thermostats with remote sensing and remote-controlled door locks, respectively.

These are only a few of the ways that home automation can be used to improve your comfort and convenience and also keep your costs low. More advanced applications such as intelligent sprinkler control, grouped lighting, heating zone controls and other devices to manage your house or make it easy to live in are available from smarthomeusa.com, and are also increasingly available from home automation consultants all over the country.

http://www.smarthomeusa.com/

"20 Ways to Waste Your Money", Erin Burt, http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/starting/archive/2009/st0722.htm