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AT&T’s Zero Charger might reduce the bite of ‘vampire draw’
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The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that standby power makes up as much as 20 percent of home energy use in America. Standby energy use – also called "vampire draw" – involves any plugged-in items that draw power supplies from a wall socket when they’re not in use.
We’re all probably guilty of enabling vampire draw. How often do you unplug your TV after watching the Thursday night lineup?
AT&T officials estimate that if 80 percent of wireless subscribers left their cell phone chargers plugged into a wall for a year, their phones would draw enough electricity to power 24,000 homes for a year. This is the equivalent of brewing 3 to 4 million cups of coffee each day.
To address this issue, AT&T is launching an eco-friendly charger that will eliminate excess consumption. The Zero Charger automatically senses when a cell phone is disconnected from the charger and cuts the power supply from the wall socket.
The device has a "block and cable" design that makes it compatible with a variety of phone models. The interchangeability of the charger means that less need to be produced. AT&T predicts this will reduce future landfill waste.
Moreover, the product will be sold in packaging made of 100 percent recycled paper. (AT&T recently announced a promise to transition to eco-friendly packaging that is anticipated to eliminate more than 60 percent of the paper and 30 percent of the plastic the company has previously used.)
This charger is the first of its kind, and it will likely save mobile users a pretty penny in electricity costs, not to mention have a positive impact on the environment. Carlton Hill, vice president of devices and product development for AT&T’s wireless operations, said "with the size of AT&T’s customer base, providing solutions like these helps our customers make a big difference."
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