Guest Blogger: 5 Wicked Eco Energy Gadgets for the Home

Guest Blogger #497, Entry #1143, May 3, 2012

There are many ways to improve your way of living, whether it’s saving money or reducing your carbon footprint. Improve your home’s power usage and have a look at the brilliant gadgets listed below.

1. Blight Solar Blinds

With summer on the way, an easy fix it to install these ingenious blinds. “Blight” is a set of solar-powered window blinds that shade your home whilst simultaneously generating electricity. The design isn’t as yet on the market, but it’s such an intriguing idea, I had to list it.  However, there is an option you can buy, so check out these eco window shades.  After all, blocking out the sun is the easiest and least energy-intensive ways to keep your home’s temperature low. And cheap at around $150/£100.

2. Eco Toaster

This cool-looking toaster uses 34% less energy to make your toast golden and crisp. Just plug in the socket and the bread is lowered by a satisfying downward action, followed by a top-closing device – this is what retains the heat and makes it more efficient. It might use the same amount of electricity to cook toast as your old standard toaster, but the toasting time is a lot shorter, thanks to the top-closing mechanism. This gadget will brown your bread in just 90 seconds, over twice as quickly as an average toaster. This will save around 1hr 20 minutes of power usage a week – that’s a staggering 60+ hrs a year!

3. EcoCamel Showerhead

On a meter, a household can save around $200/£125 off their yearly energy bill, and can cut $300/£200 off the annual water bill, too. An average family of four can save around 30,000 litres of water a year using this gadget – that’s a lot of showers! No plumber is needed as anyone can unscrew an old showerhead and fit the ecocamel. The water jet is not like being hit by Niagara Falls, either – more like a soft spring shower. It takes 10 seconds to fill a litre bag of water, but this gadget will only take six. A five-minute shower using the ecocamel uses 30 litres, whereas a conventional showerhead will use nearer 50. And power showers use 90 litres in five minutes. With two showers a day, seven days a week, that’s a saving of nearly 15,000 litres over a year.

4. Logitech Wireless Solar Powered Keyboard

This brilliant keyboard is solar powered. It takes its charge from an integrated solar panel. What’s really impressive is its ability to stay charged in the dark for up to three months. There are no power bricks and charging cables needed, either. Other features include a solar power meter to monitor you are receiving the right amount of light, and also informs you of the battery levels. If your charge is running low, it will alert you too. Pick one of these wicked keyboards for $80/£50.

5. Eco Button

Another neat PC related device is the Eco Button. This power saving device reduces your computer’s electricity usage. ‘Ecomode’ is initiated when you press the ‘eco button’. Use this when you leave your desk and your computer is set to the most efficient mode.  It will record how much power and money you have saved, plus the amount of carbon units used. By Eco Button for only $20/£15 and make your computer as efficient as possible.

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.