FREE Energy Saving Plug

[chris]

Every mainland UK household (sadly, NI's excluded) can grab a totally free LIME energy saving plug worth £20, a water widget and flush bag.

How to grab the kit

Just enter the code 'FLUSH' on Free Green Gadgets before Mon 6 Dec 2010. The kit'll be delivered within 28 days. There is no P&P to pay.

The scheme's run by Grass Roots, a company helping the Government meet its Carbon Emissions Reduction Target.

How it helps you save

The plug helps you save energy by instantly switching appliances OFF rather than to standby. You can use it for one gadget, eg, a TV or PC or several appliances on one extention cable.

Remember bigger savings of around £300/year can be made by cutting energy costs; see the Compare Gas & Electricity guide

The flush bag fits inside the toilet cistern and saves over a litre of water per flush - without affecting your lav's performance.

The water widget fits on a shower tap to cut water usage by up to 70%. Some MoneySavers reckon it doesn't work so well on power showers, but it shouldn't damage your shower and is worth a try for free.

If you've already had one or all of these products from any energy suppliers then you don't qualify - it's one per household.


Source: MoneySavingExpert

 

[fergyc]

These are great, I never use standby anyway. It just means I don't have to get up!

 

[Lazarus]

Agreed. Got one on the occasion of SWMBO's 70th Birthday (Ahem) and it's really useful for turning off the Entertainment Stack at night and on again in the morning.

 

[PaulR]

Thanks for that. Now all I have to do is decide which set of equipment to connect it to!

 

[2cvbloke]

Just ordered myself the gadgetry, already have a toilet with a smaller capacity cistern and has dual-flush, so the cistern bag isn't really needed, but the water widget and the plug look useful indeed...

Now just to wait until it arrives on christmas eve (if the 28 day delivery is accurate!!)...

 

[diginoob]

Just remember NOT to plug your Sky+ box into it!

 

[rolfw]

Just ordered the plug, thanks Chris.

 

[compufunk]

The plug looks like a product that was featured on Dragons Den about a year or two ago.

The guys who were trying to get investment seemed to have overlooked the full potential of the idea they had patented. Their idea, using a battery to keep an infrared sensor active while while mains power was turned off could easily be built into appliance (They were pitching it as a retrofit jobby). Look out for TV's etc that can be completely powered on and off via remote in the near future.

One of those ideas that you would have thought was already patented.

 

[2cvbloke]

Look out for TV's etc that can be completely powered on and off via remote in the near future.

I used to have a TV that powered off via remote (80's vintage I think), the power button ended up coming loose so you had to catch it when it shot out of the slot, otherwise you couldn't switch it back on again...

 

[T1154]

After a lifetime in Electronics I never switch any equipment in daily use off unless its unavoidable! Component failures usually occur following switch off/switch on,particularly in Power Supplies.Performance stability reaches a maximum if equipment remains switched on and the risk of component failure is much reduced particularly in cases where in order to keep costs low ,components of poor quality or whose voltage limits provide insufficient margin against switching surges are fitted .It is of course important to ensure adequate ventilation,since overheating is also likely to induce failure particularly when cheap components have been used .

Even switching to Stand-By can be risky , particularly when Switch-mode power supplies are fitted .

Consequently I would recommend caution when being exhorted to save energy by'Switching Off ' Saving the cost of too frequent purchase of replacement equipment can be more important
T1154

 

[Analoguesat]

I sent off for one when Chris posted this & its arrived today.

 

[Analoguesat]

According to the website its been extended to December 31st so still plenty of time to get yours ordered

 

[Analoguesat]

Oh and whilst we are on the subject of energy saving (and with fuel bills who isnt these days) Theres a flyer in with the plug about free home insulation for the over 70's or folk on certain benefits.

Details of houses & folk eligible and can be found here

-http://www.freecavitywall.co.uk

If they ask for a code put GRPLUG in

From what I can see from a quick look its not just cavity wall insulation - loft insulation is also available.

 

[Channel Hopper]

I sent off for one when Chris posted this & its arrived today.

Mine arrived over the weekend (left outside the front door), and I can confirm it's a quality pice of kit.

Only problem is the other half as the satellite receiver does not retain the 'Favourite ' mode when powered down.

 

[Topper]

Oh pooo

I just tried to apply and it says I already had one.....how could I have done?

 

[2cvbloke]

Got my kit this morning, the bog bag and the shower reducer wouldn't be much good (already have a lo-flow loo and the water widget thing shouldn't be used with electric showers, especially ours which has a rubbishly slow flow), can't wait to try out the plug, I just have to sort out the spaghetti behind the TV, that'll be fun...

 

[Staminastan]

Got my standby plug thing yesterday but now I'm wondering about what T1154 said - it effectively cuts off power to your telly / whatever as if you've yanked the power lead out, is that safe? I assume the standby button does more than immediately cut power? Unless I could programme my learning remote to Stand By the telly; then cut the power. .?

But that still leaves the Q is my telly more likely to fail if I repeatedly power it up & down to & from cold? In the same way that my lightbulbs only go pop when I switch 'em on or off.

 

[PaulR]

And I received mine today.

It's a valid question. If the TV is on for a few hours only I suspect that the device would be OK but if it's only off overnight then it might be better to leave it in standby.

 

[2cvbloke]

If devices are manufactured to fail if turned off and on, then that's the fault of the manufacturer, if the end user chooses to power things up and down every day, then they can, to me it's a flaw that needs to be fixed, not manipulated to get people buying new again and again... :-Nooo

I've still to brave the spaghetti, I'll get to it soon enough though...

 

[T1154]

If devices are manufactured to fail if turned off and on, then that's the fault of the manufacturer, if the end user chooses to power things up and down every day, then they can, to me it's a flaw that needs to be fixed, not manipulated to get people buying new again and again... :-Nooo

I've still to brave the spaghetti, I'll get to it soon enough though...

I dont believe devices are actually manufactured to fail,although components have a finite endlife and you may feel are selected with that in mind to ensure that failure occurs not long after the warranty period has expired !
T1154