Amusing "power saver"

Yes, exactly the same with one of those master socket things I bought from Aldi or Lidl (can't recall which).

I actually wanted it for a completely different purpose - wanted to automatically turn on a table light whenever the telly is on.

Standby power consumption of almost all modern devices nowadays is too low to worry about, mainly because in a world where such devices are sold into many countries, there are several which require sub-1W standby (and even 0.1W in some cases), so appliances are made with this in mind. The things which are most likely to fall foul of this are UK-specific appliances, and set-top boxes are pretty much top of the list.

The power meter won't measure such low consumptions accurately so what you said may be completely wrong.

But won't it be consistently "wrong"? So the power meter reading the TV's standby wattage reads less than 1W. The power meter reading the power saving plug reads at least 2W. Therefore TV must be drawing more power than the plug?

In any event, the TV manual states that consumption in standby is

Matt

If could be non-linear at low currents, or the A-D converter may have a largeish step size (8 bit would only give you 256 different current measurements). Or it could have an offset error, so that anything below (say) 3 Watts reads as 1W. If you were particularly concerned (which it doesn't sound as if you are) you could try plugging in a parallel (constant) load, such as a 60W lamp as well as the power saver, then see how much extra power the meter reads when your dad's device is switched on.

Agree that is most likely, although if the measuring device can handle up to a few thousand watts it's accuracy at those low power levels may mean nothing! Speaking about low, low, low wattage! Bought a small nine LED light strip recently, it was on sale and wanted to experiment a bit with something LED, placed it under the overhanging cupboards over our kitchen sink. The booklet says it consumes 1 watt so we have left it on continuously since installing it a couple of months ago using the little plastic clips and screws that came with it. Would have preferred a longer one (maybe 23 LEDs) or a second niner, which could have been plugged into end of the first one, but it WAS on sale and there were no others in that store. Also when went on the internet it seemed to be a no longer available item! The unit give a dim cold bluish sort of light in the not well lit zone of the sink, because the kitchen ceiling light, two 48 inch fluorescent tubes, are behind and above ones shoulders when using the sink. BTW this business of electrical energy saving devices is a bit of a boondoggle, especially here where most people and 99.9% of new constructed homes are electrically heated using our almost 100% hydro generated electricity. Almost every month of the year here requires some heating especially at night when the lights tend to be on, before bed! So a couple of old fashioned and 'inefficient' 100 watt bulbs, in the family room table lamps, costing 25 cents each and lasting a couple of years, at least, are merely the alternative to having the 1500 watt electric baseboard heaters cutting in/out. The TV also, when on, probably gives out at least 150 or maybe more watts! Most of it's electrcity being converted to heat (and light and sound all of which is absorbed by things within the house).

And rather than using heaters, if the house is a blaze of light it seems warmer! There are people who worry about the cost of using an electric oven for a roast. In winter it's free because other heaters will switch off while the oven is going. Not to mention that the cost of power for the oven is tiny compared with the cost of the food in it.

Not quite free. Electricity cost a lot more per joule than gas, even given my old fashioned boiler.

Andy

But I live in a warm country with cheap hydroelectric and geothermal and wind power. No need for gas! No boiler!

That sounds like the assumption that so many North Americans and/or Europeans make. But, yes, when available gas does sound cheaper?

Piped in gas is just not available in many places! And the distances it would have to be piped or transported by truck, to reach people's homes makes it unlikely to be economic! Propane, is used by a few for parlour 'gas fireplaces' and/or barbecues. Also in cylinders for camping (caravans) etc. But is realtively expensive.

By example; the island portion of this Atlantic coast located Canadian province has an electricity grid (using almost entirely hydro generated power) that serves about 500,000 persons. Oddly the island portion is not yet connected to the rest of the Canadian grid!

The cost of domestic electricity here is about ten Canadian cents per unit (Roughly 7 pence UK or about 9 cents US.) .

Another section of this province has a population of something less than 50,000 persons in a huge area, some coastal locations of which are so remote, some being hundreds of miles further north, that there are individual diesel-electric generators in each small community. Fuel being shipped in, using ice hardened tankers, during the relatively ice free summers to power them throughout rest of the year. Ironically though that 'Big Land' has, located inland one of the world's largest hydro generating stations at Churchill Falls (named after Sir Winston!) from which power IS exported through Quebec to Ontario Canada and indirectly to northern USA states a 1000 miles south!

When we built a new house some 40 years ago we were being adjured "To live better electrically". So we built this all-electric home and so far it's worked out well. Cheers.

Ah. I had assumed that the users of this group were, by and large, UK resident or familiar with the conditions here.

In other countries YMMV. Ones like Matty's where no heating is required are plainly on a loser - there is no benefit from the waste heat. Other places geothermal heat really is too cheap to meter. For you hydroelectric is cheap enough (and green enough!) to be a viable heating source. For most of us in Terra Brittunculi that's not the case.

Andy