Source: inhabitat.com
Published: June 9, 2015
Devices left plugged in draw power.
After his fiancee’s home was burned to the ground by a mobile phone charger that was left plugged in, Finland-based Asmo Saloranta decided to create a charger that not only helps prevent fires, but puts an end to vampire power draw. A recent study by the National Resources Defense Council found that vampire power – the energy used by chargers and devices plugged in but not in use – costs Americans a total of $19 billion dollars each year. Enter the ASMO Charger, the device that puts a stop to vampire draw. After achieving funding in just 9 hours on Indiegogo, the charger is ready for manufacturing and taking pre-orders. Manufacturing starts this summer and chargers will be delivered in October.
Each charger is manufactured in Finland, despite the fact that many told Asmo that manufacturing there would be too expensive. “There is a reason why it’s much cheaper to manufacture electronics in some countries, because in there child labor is cheap, energy from coal power plants is cheap and humans do not have any value,” says Asmo Saloranta. “The costs of manufacturing in Finland are higher, but the ethical and the moral comfort are more important to me. I wanted to sleep my nights well, and I do.”