The idea behind Belkin's Conserve Surge Protector is pretty simple. Instead of having your electronics sit there in standby mode and each sip a little bit of power, the Conserve lets you completely shut down six connected components so their power drain is cut to zero. At the same time, it leaves two outlets active for those products that you indeed want to keep on (or leave in standby mode) — items like DVRs, wireless routers, fax machines and cordless phones.
In Australia, two AU$249.95 models are available: both have a total of eight outlets, 2-metre cords, and a detachable light-switch-style wireless remote control. The AV model has coaxial RF input/output for cable and aerial antenna TV feeds, while the standard edition substitutes coax sockets for telephone plugs, so you can protect your home office phone/fax connections. The AV Conserve protector is covered by a lifetime AU$250,000 connected equipment warranty, whereas the standard edition comes with an unlimited lifetime connected equipment warranty.
The remote control allows you to turn off your components with a flip of a conveniently placed switch (rather than having to bend down underneath a desk and hit an on/off switch on the surge protector itself). It is wall mountable and can also control multiple Conserve protectors, so you can shut everything down in your house at once. Belkin says the range on the remote is about 18 metres (line of sight is not required), but we only managed to have it work properly within a range of about 10 metres.
We hooked up a PS3, a 50-inch LCD TV and an AV receiver to the Conserve along with a clock radio that we wanted to leave fully powered. With a flip of a switch (the remote is wall-mountable like a light switch, with screws or a sticky pad — both included), the PS3, TV and AV receiver all went completely dark. We flipped the switch again, and they returned to standby mode.
To be clear, standby mode is already a very low-power mode, so completely shutting off the power to the unit isn't going to save you much money. How much energy a component burns in standby mode varies from device to device. The general rule of thumb is: the newer the device, the more efficient the standby mode will be. We calculated the cost savings for the average LCD or plasma TV for the year and it came in at around 75 cents based on having the TV on for five hours a day and in standby mode for 19 (although energy consumption costs vary slightly depending on where you live). If you own a PS3, you should save $1.13; an Xbox 360, $2.16 (yes, the Xbox 360 is a standby hog, relatively speaking). You might save more with other items, like paper shredders and printers, which potentially suck more energy in standby mode. Still, you probably lose more change in various people's couches over the course of a year than you might save here. (NB: these figures are based on US energy consumptions costs, but Australian power consumption tests are roughly equivalent: see local story here.)
So, how long will the Conserve take to pay for itself? As we said, that depends on what type and the number of components you have plugged into it. But you're probably looking at three to five years at least.
The protector does have a few small downsides. For starters, there are no Ethernet ports on either model to protect networking lines from surges. Also, the Conserve lacks the hideaway aspect of Belkin's Conceal protectors. This model looks like your basic double-wide surge protector with a little cord-control accessory attached at one end, so there's no way to cover your ungainly power plugs and AC adapters.
All in all, however, the Conserve is a good concept for surge protectors — and good for the environment in a very small way. You may pay a premium for the extra "conserve" feature, but you should make up that outlay in due time. Hopefully, Belkin will combine some of the features (eg, a cover for concealment) of its other protectors in the next version of the Conserve. But that's more a wish than a major gripe.
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