The Breeze in Raleigh Real Estate

An example of low-tech energy savers comes from Belkin, which this week announced a new power strip with a timer that shuts off power to plugs for non-essential items.

That's "really the minimally invasive approach" to office energy savings, said Cliff Unger, senior product manager with Belkin. The new power strip is $35, only about $7 more than a non-timer strip, and those power strips get replaced about every five years or so in most offices, he said.