Abstract: A system for supplying power to and switching a number of electrical appliances each having a power consuming part and a switching part, each switching part having a unique address. A signal line is coupled to each of the switching parts, to a clock pulse generator and to individual signal transmitters, each transmitter corresponding to one switching part, for generating a control signal for addressing its corresponding switching part. The signal transmitters, when activated, generate a characteristic control signal in synchronism with the clock pulses from the clock pulse generator. No central encoder is required for controlling the individual electrical appliances. Rather, it is necessary only to activate the particular signal transmitter associated with the particular appliance.