Standby Buster - Fact Sheet

Overview

Standby Buster is an electrical socket, that, using a remote control, lets consumers switch off multiple appliances completely rather than leaving them in standby mode. This saves unnecessary electricity consumption that costs money and contributes to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Standby Buster requires no installation. Sockets are simply plugged into existing power outlets letting appliances be switched on and off with the remote control. Many sockets can be grouped together into ‘zones’ – each zone is controlled by a single button on the remote. Up to four zones can be created.

Key facts and stats on Standby

Britons waste the equivalent of around two power stations' worth of electricity each year by leaving TV sets and other gadgets on standby*
The primary consumer of electricity while on standby in a home tends to be audio and video entertainment equipment; TVs, DVDs, digital TV receivers and video recorders
Typically the standby usage of a TV, DVD player, digital TV receiver would cost household around £40** over the course of a year
Washing machines, dishwashers, tumble driers and microwave ovens also use electricity unless they are switched off or unplugged
Using a Standby Buster to switch off a typical arrangement of electronic entertainment equipment when not in use will save approximately 570kWh*** of electricity over the course of the year
Generating this electricity would typically produce 245kg**** of the principle Greenhouse gas, Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
In 2005 Norman Baker MP, the Liberal Democrat's environment spokesman announced that CO2 emissions from electrical equipment being left on standby in the UK that one year were equivalent to 1.4 million long-haul flights
In the UK in 2005, an estimated 7TWh (seven thousand million kilowatt hours) of electricity was consumed by appliances on standby – that’s 1 million tonnes of coal or over half of all the coal that is open cast mined in England and Wales

Why is Standby Buster important?

Using a Standby Buster to switch off sockets eliminates wasted energy consumption and in turn saves money - without removing the convenience of using a remote control
Standby Buster allows consumers to control numerous sockets in different rooms throughout the house from just the one remote – making it even easier to save money … and the environment
Standby Buster is the first such product to market that has been certified to draw less than 1 Watt of electricity when on standby – as such, it is also the only product of its kind to receive a stamp of approval from the Energy Savings Trust (EST)
Because Standby Buster uses Radio Frequency (RF) rather than Infra-Red (IR) to switch off products, it is not impaired by furniture or armchairs being in its way
Standby Buster therefore makes it simple to switch products off standby in hard to reach places e.g. plug sockets hidden behind furniture
Because Standby Buster works by remote control, appliances can be effectively ‘unplugged’ from any convenient location such as your armchair

Standby Buster - Products

The following products are currently available to buy in the Standby Buster range – offering something to suit individual needs and budgets:

Standby Buster Starter-Kit (£14.99): Standby Buster remote controlled electrical socket and one Standby Buster RF remote controller
Standby Buster Value Pack (£29.99): Three Standby Buster remote controlled electrical sockets and one Standby Buster RF remote controller
Standby Buster Socket (£8.99): Standby Buster remote controlled electrical socket
Standby Buster Remote Controller (£8.99): Standby Buster RF remote controller

Standby Buster - Specifications

Standby Buster electrical socket
Rated for up to 3680W
Voltage: 230V AC 50Hz
Rating: 230V AC 3.6kW max
Radio frequency: 433.92MHz
Manual override: Yes
On/Off indicator: LED
Power consumption: < 1W
Standby Buster remote
Type: RF (Radio Frequency)
Radio frequency: 433.92MHz
Remote range: 20m
Battery type: LRV08 12v
Maximum zones per remote: 4

-Ends

*Source: BBC Online - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4620350.stm
**Source: Which? report: Use less electricity | 05 October 2006
***Based on the Which? Report identified savings of £40 assuming an average price of 7p per kWh.
****The Climate Change Levy Negotiated Agreements and the ETS use an average carbon intensity factor for the estimation of carbon dioxide emissions from the consumption of electricity: this has been fixed at 0.43 kgCO2/kWh

For media enquiries please contact:

Madeleine Durrant
Nelson Bostock Communications
T: +44 (0) 20 7792 7472
E: madeleine.durrant@nelsonbostock.com

Ali Wallace
Nelson Bostock Communications
T: 020 7792 7492
E: alison.wallace@nelsonbostock.com

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