An average power consumption of receiving units (3,5,7) for controlling apparatuses (4,6,8) in response to operation control signals from transmitting units (2) may be reduced by introducing devices (1,21) for controlling the power consumption of the receiving units (3,5,7) in response to detections of states of the apparatuses (4,6,8). The devices (1) may comprise controllers (30) for controlling the power consumption in a wireless, non-wireless, physical and/or logical manner. The devices (1) may comprise monitors (33) for monitoring power consumption, currents and/or voltages at the receiving units (3,5,7) and/or the apparatuses (4,6,8). The devices (1) may comprise receivers (40), detectors (41), converters (42) and transmitters (43) for receiving the operation control signals, detecting the states of the apparatuses (4,6,8), converting the operation control signals into converted signals, and transmitting the operation control signals or the converted signals to the receiving units (3,5,7) for controlling the power consumption of the receiving units (3,5,7) via the transmitted signals, wherein the transmitted signals correspond to power control signals.