Record sales of AutoPowerOff plug banks in 2008

AutoPowerOff plug banks can save about EUR 13 million
The Trust estimates that more than 600,000 AutoPowerOff plug banks have found their way into Danish homes since they were introduced in 2003.

‘It’s very positive that consumers have now seriously connected their electricity consumption to these plug banks. Sales of 600,000 units equate to annual power savings of more than 50 million kWh, or about EUR 13 million. This means that power stations can reduce CO2 emissions by nearly 25,000 tons,’ says Anders Hjorth Jensen, Project Manager at the Trust.

Unnecessary waste of power
Intelligent plug banks eliminate both actual consumption and standby power by automatically switching of power guzzlers such as printers and DVDs which are typically connected to PCs and TVs. This is a completely unnecessary waste of power that gives nobody any pleasure.

More people want to save electricity
Danes really want to save electricity, and this has been confirmed by research carried out recently for Børsen by Greens Analyseinstitut in January. Thirty-eight per cent of consumers said they intend to buy an AutoPowerOff plug bank this year. If good intentions convert to actual sales this equals 2 million plug banks.

‘Intelligent plug banks make it easy for consumers to put words into practice. It’s extremely positive, and we’re very pleased that the Trust’s campaign has opened consumers’ eyes to the fact that these plug banks are one of the ways to save electricity,’ says Anders Hjorth Jensen.

Heading for the million mark
The Trust’s goal is that sales of these plug banks should hit the 1 million mark during 2009.

‘A large number of retailers have found it makes sense to recommend AutoPowerOff plug banks when consumers buy a computer or a TV. If Danes continue to plug in their electrical equipment into intelligent plug banks at the same rate as they have done over the last 2 months, the million mark could be reached this year. The total demand for both types of plug banks is 7 million units – 5 million for TVs, and 2 million for computers. So there’s still a long way to go before the plug banks are in every house,’ adds Anders Hjorth Jensen.

In its next campaign, the Trust will recommend that plug banks that are currently only used for TVs are also used for PCs. This is because the TV market is considerably larger than the market for computers. The TV plug bank can also be used in both situations.