Midwest Eco-Design - Your home for eco-friendly construction, remodeling & housing choices including prefrabricated homes, cabins and other sustainable material choices.

Looking to reduce your hydro bill and your impact on the environment? Unplugging often-used appliances and electronics will solve the problem, but isn’t always the most convenient solution.

Check out the SmartStrip Power Saving Surge Protector, which detects when a device is plugged in, and automatically cuts off power to its peripherals.

Not only does it save electricity, but it also protects electronics from power surges. The design has multiple plugs in mind, with generous spacing between each outlet, making it customizable to fit your needs. And once plugged in, the angled plug doesn’t cover the other outlets.

It’s available in seven- and ten-outlet models, provides 1225 joules of surge protection, and includes a 30-day unconditional return policy and two year guarantee. It also includes a lifetime return policy if, indeed, there is a power surge.

How can you go wrong? Although it’s a little pricier than most (about $22 for a single strip and $34 for a double), the average home can save about 260 watts of electricity per hour, or 113 kilowatts per month (about $30), reimbursing your cost in just 1 month.

Check them out at CableOrganizer.com and Amazon.com.