If you have spent more than $70 a year on standby electricity use while devices were shut off, chances are you’d find a way to recover that money. We’ve written about energy analytics devices and tools like Emonitor or electric dashboards to show you where power is going. Now, accessories maker Belkin wants you to conserve – and save money – by making electric plugs smarter.
Belkin claims the average home has 40 devices that continue to pull electricity and run your meter even while they’re not in use – toothbrushes, TVs, coffeemakers and all the power cords from cell phones, laptops and other gear. The company’s “Conserve Insight” even tells you a precise actual number of watts used, the carbon footprint or the cost of leaving any device plugged in – making you and your consumption smarter and more efficient.
Looking at your electric bill would never show this level of detail — a key lesson that data analytics and business intelligence users understand: they know the importance of taking aggregated information and then breaking it into more manageable and searchable details.
Electric outlets are dumb – if a plug is inserted the power flows and the charges keep racking up. These and other devices are intending to make your outlets smarter. One option is using a timer to turn the power on in the morning and off overnight while you sleep. Another approach is smarter surge suppressors that can tell when your charging devices are full and turn themselves off or recognize when your computer or TV is dormant and shut off the power flow when it’s not needed.
These are just a few ways “on-demand” information and sensible methods of getting what you need when you need it – are you doing the same thing with data or other business resources? Take control and guard your budget with analytics that tell you not just what you’re paying but where and why.
David Wallace
Spotfire Blogging Team
Image Credit: Microsoft Office Clip Art
