Switch off and save
Theo Boshoff
We can't stress enough the importance of green technology, as well as keeping energy or electricity usage in check. Along with many other companies, Radiant Lighting and Electrical is doing their bit to help consumers be a bit more 'green', by releasing a gadget to assist computer and TV home theatre users to save electricity without much effort.

The device is called Trickle Star and is available for both TV and PC usage. This is how it works: it automatically switches off all other equipment attached to either your computer or TV, such as printers, modems, amplifiers, DVD players and speakers when you shut down the PC or switch off the TV using the remote.

Why would you want this? Well, it is a well-known fact that when users keep electronic equipment in standby mode, the devices actually keep on drawing power in small amounts. The more devices on standby for long periods of time, the more electricity is being wasted. This is also called 'vampire power', because the electricity is continuously sucked out of the grid.

According to Radiant, between five and ten percent of electricity consumed in the average home is due to home electronics in standby mode.