Power strip tells you how much juice you're using
Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:45AM EDT
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Want to know how much power your hungry gadgets are consuming—and how much they're costing you in energy bills? Here's a power strip that'll deliver the ugly truth, in real time.
Sniffed out by Red Ferret (via Gizmodo), the Cost Controller ($99) comes with eight three-pronged sockets (two of which get extra space for bulky AC adapters) along with an LCD display, which details your power consumption—and estimated cost—by the kilowatt-hour (kWh).
Of course, the Cost Controller also performs the standard surge-protector duties, and it'll even track your energy use for the day, week, month, or a full year.
As someone who's got an HDTV, an A/V receiver, a DVR, a DVD player, a Wi-Fi access point, and two (count 'em, two) game consoles all plugged into a single power outlet (yes, I plugged one power strip into a second power strip—don't try it at home, folks), I'd be curious to see how much all my gizmos are tacking onto my monthly power bill.
On the other hand, maybe ignorance is bliss.
Related:
Cost Controller Power Strip - measure and protect your power consumption as it happens [Red Ferret]
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Comments on Power strip tells you how much juice you're using
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2 Posted by jirojas on Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:59PM EDT Report Abuse
Display is a very small fraction compared to TV's, stereos, DVD's etc.
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3 Posted by mikedgolf40505 on Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:02PM EDT Report Abuse
TV's, computers and other small appliances are a very small part of your electric bill. The majority goes to heating and cooling your house. I was just questioning the premise behind the whole power strip monitor concept. My electric bill is what it is. I am not going to worry about a few dollars a month.
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4 Posted by therez0 on Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:40PM EDT Report Abuse
Shhh... don't let my dad know these exist (he might get one to see how much we(the family) are costing him). With our electronics as numerous as they are (4 PCs, a laptop, a Wii, a PS2, an X-box 360, 2 HDTVs, 2 other TVs, 3: 5.1 Channel surround systems, 2 satelite recievers, 2 DVD players, and all the chargers for all the portable stuff like cell phones, Mp3 players, DS-es, and various rechargable batteries--mind you, they are not all in the same room) it would be interesting to find out how much it costs per month to maintain the hi-tech life for my family. Although, I'm sure that it still costs less than some of the appliances we have. Also, it is good to note that this isn't the only way you can check power usage for you gadgets. ThinkGeek has handy power-socket device that can check the power usage on anything you plug into it (http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/travelpower/7657/). The best part is that you don't have to sheck out for yet another power-strip, because if you are like most tech people I know, you already have a drawer somewhere full of 'em. P.S. Ben, you reprehensible gadget-hound... power-strip into power-strip, thats how you void warranties on power-strips and certain electronics, shame on you.
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5 Posted by maksi34 on Thu May 1, 2008 2:27PM EDT Report Abuse
Is that thing can count how much power on unplugged and unused charger,etc..? Considering small fraction of energy that those chargers generate. Just curious,though...
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1 Posted by mikedgolf40505 on Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:38PM EDT Report Abuse
I am sorry, I gotta ask; how much extra energy is the display and monitor on this power strip using?