Watt About The Plugs And Wires?

It’s really not about the power. But everyone thinks it is.

From the NY Times we have hand-wringing over the population of electricity gobbling gadgets.

The proliferation of personal computers, iPods, cellphones, game consoles and all the rest amounts to the fastest-growing source of power demand in the world. Americans now have about 25 consumer electronic products in every household, compared with just three in 1980.

But what they forget is that the same math applies to power bricks and wires.

My Wire Wallah

Let’s take a look at the chart accompanying the Times article:

What we see is that Gadgets represent only 7% of energy consumption. But if I walk around my house and look at the electrical sockets they plug into, I come up with the following info.

1. Refrigerator – 1 plug.
2. Washer & Dryer – 1 plug each.
3. A/C and Space Heating- zero plugs.
4. Cooking and Dishwashers – zero plugs.
5. Gadgets – 30+ plugs and ‘bricks’.

Whereas the gadgets consume 7% of the energy, they take up 93% of the sockets.

At this growth rate my problem is not that they will consume too much energy, but that they will take over ALL of my electrical outlets.

Then what?

Note: If you don’t know what ‘wallah’ means, then here’s your link. Also consider these books.