For our UK readers, Alternative Consumer contained a post about Bye Bye Standby (“BBSB”), a device that cuts off power to unused appliances that are plugged into wall outlets. The BBSB maker offers the Intro package which contains 2 smart outlets and a green switch and the Energy Savings Kit which contains three appliance switches and one remote control. On the “Buy me” page is a list of who supplies these products.
With any products, the question always comes up, how much am I going to save if I am using this product? On the BBSB website in the FAQ area, they responded as follows:
“Q: How much energy can be saved by switching off appliances rather than leaving them on standby?
A: In standby mode some appliances can still use as much as 25 per cent of the energy they do when they are switched on. Switching all appliances off when not in use can save you £37 a year and help reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Research by the government-backed Energy-Saving Trust shows 62 million television sets used 8 per cent of their total average daily energy consumption while they were in standby mode. The average television set is left on standby for more than 17 hours a day while most set-top boxes and video recorders are never turned off.”
Take a look at this video produced by Shiny Shiny TV which illustrates how to use the product.
Also check out their additional products as options to the energy saving starter kits. A flick of a wrist is all you need to start saving energy…
Hi Anna, great product. I was searching for a device that would do exactly what BBSB does. Thanks a lot for the review. I am planning to get my home green certified this year by installing solar power, re-doing the windows and installing a number of gadgets that helps me to automate the energy savings process. BBSB would be a nice addition to the gadget list!
However, have you tried few other products that does similar things? I found a power extension block called PwrUSB that can be scheduled to cut power supply of various home appliances when they are usually not being used. Lets say you want your office computer to turn off at 5:15 PM everyday can I program BBSB to do that? With pwrusb I can program it to communicate with the computer via a software package that it comes with and auto shutdown the PC. You should definitely check out their website.
Sarah, I have a bunch of tools sitting by my desk to review. I will have to check out Pwr USB. BBSB doesn’t do that. Thanks for the tip. Anna
No problem 🙂 I think you are doing a great job informing general consumers about the latest green products. Keep up the good work – I shall definitely try to visit your posts more often in future.
– Sarah