An idea that comes directly from the United States. The 2009 edition of the Greener Gadgets Design Competition, an initiative promoted by the design magazine Core 77, which has been competing for green projects for two years, saw Power Hog, the pig that makes people aware of the value of energy, in second place. and that teaches how to spare it.
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How to teach children good habits of efficiency and energy saving in everyday life? How to explain to them, in a simple and immediate way, the value of energy? From today, the most willing parents could take advantage of a new, funny and fun tool, designed specifically for the little ones. An idea that comes directly from the United States. The 2009 edition of the Greener Gadgets Design Competition, an initiative promoted by the Core 77 design magazine, which has been competing for “green” projects for two years, saw Power Hog, the pig that makes you aware of the value of energy and teaches you to save it.
The expression "power hog" is usually used to indicate a large consumer of energy, in the sense of a real one "Energy-sucker". But the term "hog", on closer inspection, also means "pig". The ingenious and original creators of our eco-gadget have deliberately played with this ambivalence of meaning: Power Hog presents itself as a common piggy bank in the shape of a pig, complete with a slot for inserting coins and a dollar symbol drawn on the sides. It is entirely built with recyclable materials and also thepacking for shipment - according to what the authors promise - it will be entirely eco-sustainable.
But how does this very original work in practice energy-saving? The pig's tail must be connected to the power socket, while the plug of the appliance that you want to use must be inserted in its nose, from the television, to the computer, to the playstation. Once all connections have been made, slips a coin into the piggy bank, which in this way lights up. Switching on causes the supply of current and therefore the possibility of putting the chosen appliance into operation. Electricity is released for 30 minutes, after which it is necessary to insert another coin. When time is running out, the dollar symbol on the sides of the pig turns from green to red and begins to flash more and more insistently.
Thanks to its shape and its funny appearance, Power Hog looks like a real toy. A very special toy: its use allows children to understand that the use of very common household appliances, from television to computer, it involves a waste of energy, and helps to make them responsible for the issue. Acting like a piggy bank, the gadget pushes the little ones to ad associate the idea of energy with the concept of saving, rather than that of consumption: the ignition through the insertion of a coin and the fact that the charge has a precise duration are important elements to make it clear that energy has a value and that it must not be dissipated. It is a witty and fun way to go make children more aware of the function that energy has in their everyday life and to get them used to preventing waste through careful behavior. Furthermore, having to recharge the energy saver every half hour, the little ones are also led to reflect on worth of your time, and ways to use it.
From the point of view of the parents, then, Power Hog can also have one control function: thanks to the use of coins, it allows you to quantify the time your children spend in front of the television or computer or playing on the playstation.
