WHAT DO YOU THINK? SCROLL TO BELOW THIS STORY TO POST A COMMENT.A SMALL number of residents have voiced fears that energy-saving power boards provided by the state government could damage appliances and potentially pose a fire risk.
The standby power boards were given to some homes in Frankston and Karingal last month under the state government's Victorian Energy Efficient Target (VEET) Scheme.
The Emerald Planet super standby saver powerboard switches off power to accessories such as game consoles, set top boxes and DVD players when the television is switched off.
It also switches off power to appliances after an hour if it detects that the television is not being used.
Karingal resident John Zammit has contacted the VEET hotline and is waiting to have his power board replaced because he said it caused his television to switch off every 10 minutes.
"After 10 minutes the TV just turned itself off and I'd turn it back on and 10 minutes later it would turn off again," he said.
A power board installer had visited his home in the same fashion as those delivering energy-efficient light bulbs. He has unplugged the faulty power board because as well as causing inconvenience, he was concerned that it could damage his $4000 television.
A Weekly employee who lives in Frankston said he removed his power board shortly after it was installed a month ago as it was sparking and he was concerned that it posed a fire danger.
He said the faulty board was provided as a replacement for the board he originally received because appliance plugs did not fit into the sockets.
The same problem was evident with Mr Zammit's power board - force was required to plug in appliances and the plugs did not fit securely.
The VEET scheme also included the roll out of energy-efficient light bulbs and water-saving shower heads.
Gavin Clancy, of the Essential Services Commission which administers the VEET scheme, said consumers who had problems with their power boards should report them to installers.
He said few installers had reported problems with the power boards and only a small number of the more than 100,000 residents who had so far received the boards had reported faults.
Mr Clancy said the power boards, which were valued at between $50 and $100, did not pose a fire danger because they had been approved by Energy Safe Victoria.
"A faulty power board cannot damage the appliance - it will just cease to supply power to the appliance," he said.
Emerald Planet representatives said the company designed and imported the power boards, which were manufactured in China.
"These boards have undergone very vigorous testing, over and above what is required by Australian Standards," one representative told the Weekly.
He said the boards did not pose a fire risk and were "over engineered," so that plugs fitted firmly the first time and created a tight seal, so they were safe - "they are designed so that appliances can be left in them".
He suggested that if appliances did not fit tightly or were sparking it could be due to old, bent or corroded plugs or incorrect installation.
A second Emerald Planet representative said inquiries from consumers were usually quickly resolved because they involved consumer misunderstanding about how the product should be used.
Concerns should initially be directed to installers and then to Emerald Planet. "We take all complaints very seriously and are happy to hear from customers directly," he said.
Businesses may be eligible to take part in the power board roll out later this year.
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