Smart (Electrical) Strips- Help Please

[pretty cheap jewelry]

There is a forum thread about these from 2009 and I am trying to figure out which to buy now 3 years later, advice appreciated (no jargon please, I'm not highly electrically savvy) :

Old thread: http://www.savingadvice.com/forums/f...electric+strip

I want to give to my husband for a Father's day gift as a surprise so not able to ask him! Want to apply to:

Room 1-satellite TV; Wii console; stereo speakers <-- all on the same strip
So I guess leave the satellite ON and all the other stuff OFF

Room 2-wireless router; laptop; second satellite TV; printer/scanner; Xbox game console
Also leave the satellite and router ON and other stuff OFF

What strip is a good value and where do you recommend purchase (amazon? target?)

[josetann]

I almost bought one. But I decided to buy a Kill-a-Watt first. Then I could see just what was such a huge drain.

Well, the few things I could use it on, used mere pennies per year being left plugged in. Things like a plasma tv, soundbar, and a media player. I was really surprised. I even decided to leave the soundbar actually turned on all the time (it was a bit finicky getting the remote signal to turn it on, and I kept having to manually turn it on for my wife), because the kill-a-watt said it just wasn't using that much when on (but not actually doing anything...it did show a bit higher cost when it was actually making sound).

I think that the newer stuff has gotten a lot better about not using much electricity when it's "off". Now, if your electric rates are outrageous (ours was about 7c a kilowatt) and you've got older electronics, the smart powerstrips might be worth it. I'd still buy/borrow a kill-a-watt, just to see which devices would actually benefit (no need to spend $20+ to save under $1 a year).

[GrimJack]

If you are going to buy a power strip anyway, I think getting one of the green ones is worth it. I bought a couple of HP Digital Powercenters - I am pretty sure I got them at Home Depot. They are not very expensive - I think $30.00, which is the cost of good surge protector. I did a quick google for "green surge protector" and the HP model I bought came up at the top of the results.

[Jtuxyan]

In most cases, I find the smart power strip is the better choice. I also prefer not having to keep track of which is which, so I use all smart power strips. But hey, testing it with Kill-a-Watt never hurts.