As the world we live in becomes ever more energy conscious, our lives are filled with constant reminders about our impact on it, we’ve reviewed the top 5 Energy Saving Gadgets. Ways to reduce our carbon footprints, be it for the sake of the environment or our pockets are available everywhere we look. Online, via our televisions, in newspapers, magazines, the radio. The list goes on. For those who want to make a difference, a variety of energy saving gadgets are available to use in the home. Designed to reduce or monitor the amount of energy you use, these Top 5 Energy Saving Gadgets will help you save money and do your bit for the planet. So here are our top five:
The Eco Kettle 2
Recommended by the Energy Saving Trust, this smart kettle will cut the cost of your tea break.
It has been cleverly designed to help save time, and uses on average 31% less energy than similar kettles to boil water. Built with a unique dual chamber, it holds 1.5 litres of water which is transferred to the heating chamber with a simple push of a button. So it only heats the amount of water you need. There is no waste, because any unused hot water is available the next time you need it.
The Eco Kettle 2 costs around £34-40, and is available in many leading supermarkets. It can also be bought online at places like ethicalsuperstore.com, or energysavingtrust.org.uk.
Plug In Electricity Saving Monitor
This device cleverly tells you which of your home appliances are the most power hungry. All you need to do is plug it in and read on the screen how energy efficient or not your appliance is. A real eye-opener for the energy conscious, because you may well discover your trusted fridge is costing you £1 a day to run, or keeping your television on standby is costing nearly the same amount as switching it on.
The Plug In Electricity Saving Monitor retails for around £12.99 online from places like ecohamster.co.uk.
The Standby Buster
Recommended by the Energy Saving Trust, this is a remote controlled electrical socket enabling you to switch off appliances completely instead of leaving them on standby to waste electricity.
Incredibly simple to use, it requires no installation because all you need to do is plug it into an existing socket to activate the remote control. It has been designed to take the hassle away from unplugging all your appliances when they are not in use. It has two parts; the electrical socket/plug and a remote control. Use the remote to switch it on and off.
The Standby Buster costs around £21-25 and is available from many retailers, or buy online from energysavingtrust.org.uk.
Radiator Reflector Foil
This simple yet effective device will prevent heat being absorbed into the walls from your radiators. Good to know, since an estimated 70% of radiator heat is lost by heating the wall behind it. The foil works by reflecting the heat back into the room, improving heat circulation and warming the room up faster. A great way to save energy and money.
There is no need to remove your radiator, or fiddle with tape or glue, because the foil is installed easily at the back of your radiators using a self-adhesive magnetic tape.
Radiator Reflector Foil costs from £14.99, and can be found in most DIY stores or online.
The Water Pebble
Winner of the UK’s Future Friendly Award 2008, this innovative device will transform the way you shower forever! It has been designed to reduce the amount of water you use, by telling you exactly how much you are using, and when you are using too much.
It does this by recording the flow of water going down the plughole the first time you take a shower with it. The next time you take a show, it will flash if you are taking longer than the first time, so you know your time is up. It also gradually reduces the amount of time you have before it starts to flash, encouraging you to take a quicker shower and save water, energy and money.
It requires no installation, and simply sits anywhere it can monitor the flow of water, like by the shower plughole.
The Water Pebble costs around £5, and is available to buy online.
Sources:
http://www.alternativeenergystore.co.uk/item/item/701003/10/0/Standby-Buster-(3-Pack).htm
http://www.ethicalsuperstore.com/category/electronics-and-appliances/standby-solutions/
http://www.ecoutlet.co.uk/ecosavers
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/Home-improvements-and-products/About-Energy-Saving-Recommended-products