When “Shutting Down” is a Good Thing

My spouse always wants me to “feel my feelings” and never to “shut down” my emotions. I agree, but there is a time and place for shutting down completely, like when I click the Shut Down tab on my computer.

When you shut your computer down does it really shut down all the way? Or does it stay alive, not quite on, not quite off, in an “undead” state, like an energy vampire sucking juice in the night?

Well, you could try garlic or driving a stake through its little microchip heart. Or you could get an EcoStrip. No, that’s not a green “gentleman’s club”.

The EcoStrip is a power strip and surge protector for your computer and connected devices (printer, scanner, external hard drive) with one important difference from the rest: when you shut down the computer, everything else plugged into the EcoStrip is also shut down, automatically. Saves time, energy and money.

There's nothing to program, you don't even need to turn the EcoStrip off.

According to the Department of Energy, many appliances continue to draw small amounts of power even when switched off. These "phantom loads" (or vampire power) occur in most appliances that use electricity, like televisions, stereos, computers, DVD players, phone chargers and kitchen appliances. You can drive these energy vampires out into the sun by turning them all the way off with the EcoStrip. According to Greenopolis Partner Green Home, who carries the product, an EcoStrip can save up to $150 per year, depending on how many electronics are plugged into it and how long you turn off your computer every day. So stop wasting energy, thawing the permafrost in the arctic and shelling out extra cash for juice. Put an EcoStrip everywhere you have electronics, and shut down all the way. Then go”open up” and “share your feelings” with your spouse or support group. It’ll free up all that “blocked energy!"

Do you use an EcoStrip? Tell us about it.

Greenopolis.com is dedicated to our users. We focus our attention on changing the world through recycling, waste-to-energy and conservation. We reward our users for their sustainable behavior on our website, through our Greenopolis recycling kiosks and with curbside recycling programs.

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