Electricity wasting gadgets

gromituk

See my posting - it costs money to put in an off switch. Also, a lot of these things need to be left in standby for timer recording. If people forget they're on timer and switch them off, they'll get annoyed.

All you are doing with any sort of air freshener is masking unpleasant smells with artificial chemicals, which are probably doing you no good in the long run. Avoid!

super41

gromituk wrote:

All you are doing with any sort of air freshener is masking unpleasant smells with artificial chemicals, which are probably doing you no good in the long run. Avoid!

All these artificial air fresheners really bug me - as you say they are just chemicals which can't do you any good. And have you noticed how many TV ads there are for these things - and they are always dreaming up different ways to sell them to you - e.g. the plug in ones. There must be huge demand for them (from whom??!) Personally I think my house smells ok most of the time! Opening a window and letting a bit of fresh air in works if needed!

SusanCarter

I don't like air fresheners - they smell awful and aren't good for allergies. Much better to just open the window.

beaker141

Do mobile phone chargers use power whilst plugged in and not charging (as in no phone on the end) ??

pollys

Yes I think so Beaker141, I think anything with a transformer still uses some electricity even when not in use/charging.

Talking about air fresheners and chemicals, cheap scented candles are just as bad for allergy sufferers, the smell is from chemicals.

gromituk

Yes indeed - all power supplies that I know of take some power even if they have no load.

If the charger stays cold when it has no load, it's wasting very little: the energy it wastes heats it up.

Some things which aren't quite so obvious are security lights and plug-in timers: they all take some power all the time.

Altarf

Linda32 wrote:

Does anyone still leave their TV on standby?

Other half told his Dad about that only a week ago, about it wasting electricity. His reply "arh yes I've heard that"

Guess who moans about their Electricity bill as well.

Yes I do. My TV uses 0.8w when on standby, so leaving it on standby for a year would cost 50p.

If you want to have a go about domestic appliances that use ridiculous amounts of energy have a look at mini beer fridges. These are all G rated and use about 300kWh (about £25) a year.

caffeinehit

Gadgets!!

I've been searching fruitlessly for a bog standard coin sorter, just with plastic tubes for all the coins, slots at the top and a mark that tells you when you've got to £1 or whatever. But no - the only type on offer seems to be a de-luxe electric version for £14.99. Who needs an electric coin sorter, for god's sake? It's one of those stupid gadgets that get given as novelties for Christmas along with singing Santas and foot spas, then left in the cupboard for the rest of eternity.

I like mooching round gadget shops but they really are evil. They sell vast ranges of silly pointless products that have absolutely no purpose other than provoking a brief chuckle. I can't imagine that anything bought in them gets used more than once.

pollys

Caffeinehit, my children got free coin sorters when they opened a bank account, but it doesn't have a tube for all coins, which would be better. I know the one you mean, I think it's a wooden slot at the top, I'll keep my eyes open for you.

gromituk

Altarf wrote:

If you want to have a go about domestic appliances that use ridiculous amounts of energy have a look at mini beer fridges. These are all G rated and use about 300kWh (about £25) a year.

No, mine (the Husky one that's so widespread) is B rated. I still only switch it on on rare occasions, such as for parties, though.