Some weeks ago, during one of those endless, futile telephone conversations with everybody's favourite energy supplier, I agreed to something or other, which resulted in the pixie to whom I was speaking telling me that I was entitled to a free gift. Having had my brain anaesthetised, and having failed to achieve my objective (getting my CH boiler serviced sometime before midsummer), I have absolutely no idea what it was I agreed to. I will probably never know, as I never bother to open any communication with "British Gas" on the envelope.
Anyway, some time later, I arrived home to find a 15" long package on my doorstep. On opening it, I found a trailing socket device which would allow me to turn off all my TV equipment at one go using the TV remote control. Turn off as opposed to put on standby, that is.
As it happens, we religiously switch off at the mains all the kit that doesn't have timers we use for recording. We do this by having a (wait for it) switched trailing socket into which we plug all the relevant devices, so it's one click of a switch.
The purpose of the BG device is, I presume, to save energy. I wonder if it does. The manufacture, packaging, promotion and distribution of such a device must use energy. To distribute the thing unsolicited without the option to say no is even more wasteful. How many people will actually use it? Anyone who cares about their electricity bill and the environment probably does as I do. Anyone who doesn't care probably won't be bothered to re-arrange all the cables stuffed behind their TV.
In any case, it's no use for the standby devices such as VCR, Freeview/Freesat/Sky boxes and HDD/DVD recorders. All it will switch is the TV and sound system, neither of which are likely to be drawing a very high current on standby.
What a waste of time and resources.
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Topic: Another mind-boggling Green initiative (Read 450 times)