Earth Day: Five eco gadgets

Earth Day 2014 is here and there are a number of things being done in numerous countries to try and make the world more sustainable, such as the world's first completely electric solar-powered bus.

Planting a billion trees or introducing a community solar project in Kansas might take a bit more planning, but you can do your bit on a smaller scale too, so here are five eco gadgets to get you started.

Nest

Nest is a learning thermostat that has recently been introduced to the UK after being available in the US since 2010.

The learning thermostat has the ability to change and adapt your heating to how you live and you can control it all from your mobile phone with the Nest app.

While Nest won't control your hot water, it will automatically create a schedule for you, such as turning the heating down when you have left home. The company claims US customers have experienced 20 per cent savings on their average heating and cooling bill.

Standby savers

Many of us leave our TVs and other appliances on standby when we are finished with them, which use energy and cost us money.

A standby saver will turn your gadgets off when you are not using them and they are available in a variety of formats, including one that you can text message to turn off appliances.

There are some that are motion sensitive meaning everything is switched off when you leave the room, while others will just turn off a single appliance when you have finished using it.

ECO Kettle

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) claims: "If everyone boiled only the water they needed to make a cup of tea instead of 'filling' the kettle every time, we could save enough electricity to run practically all the street lighting in the UK."

The ECO Kettle appliance is recommended by the Energy Saving Trust and is said to save you an average of 30 per cent of energy each time you make a cup of tea.

It does this by allowing you to select how much water you want to boil and a reservoir means you don't need to top up the kettle each time you go to make a fresh pot.

Freeloader solar charger

The Freeloader solar charger can charge a number of your devices without using electricity, whether it is your iPhone, smartphone, Nintendo DS or your iPad.

It comes complete with nine attachments, including Micro-USB, and there is a built-in LCD data panel that will offer you information such as battery level, power inputs and connectivity.

The Freeloader solar charger claims to be able to power your iPhone for 18 hours, your smartphone for 44 hours, a PSP or DS for 2.5 hours and an iPad for 2 hours.

Logitech wireless solar keyboard

The Logitech wireless solar keyboard means you will get all the benefits of a wireless keyboard but you won't need to eat through your piggy bank and the environment with the endless replacement of batteries.

It will charge itself using sunlight or lamplight, both indoors and outdoors, and it is said to last three months on a full charge, even if it is in complete darkness.

The Logitech wireless solar keyboard is slim, uses a 2.4GHz wireless connection and comes with a traditional Apple Mac layout.

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