A Hong Kong-British partnership has created the world's first 'smart' electric power plug to tap the growing market for energy-efficient devices which, the industry says, has virtually unlimited potential.
The plug, which is called the Intelliplug, automatically cuts off the power supply to any electrical appliances that go into standby mode. That can save at least HK$70 per appliance per year, the developer says.
The plug, patented in Britain and made by Hong Kong-invested manufacturers in the Pearl River Delta, won an innovation prize at the Queen's Awards for Enterprise last year.
About 1.3 million units, selling for an average HK$180 each, have been shipped to the British market. It is not for sale in Hong Kong.
Lawrence Wong Kwok-hung, managing director of One Click Technologies, said the product had attracted interest from multinational companies. One Click was planning to target other overseas markets, such as Australia.
Britain's energy policy, which rewards power suppliers' conservation efforts, was crucial to the plug's development, Mr Wong said. 'Once you have the policy, people will become creative and come up with lots of business ideas.' He said they would not target the Hong Kong market for the time being as it was small compared to Europe, and the relatively low cost of power here created less incentive to save energy.
