July 04, 2007
The growing popularity of hi-tech devices, such as flat-screen TVs and digital radios, threaten to undermine efforts to save energy, reports the BBC.
"By 2020, the gadgets will account for about 45% of electricity used in UK households, the Energy Saving Trust projected.
It said flat-screen TVs and digital radios were among the worst offenders.
"Your old-fashioned, bulky cathode ray tube TV on average consumed about 100 watts of electricity when it was switched on," Dr Owen explained.
"What we are seeing now is a trend for much bigger flat-screened TVs. On average, we are seeing a three-fold increase in the energy needed to power these TVs. Unlike every other sector [such as fridges and washing machines], where as the technology moves on, the products get more and more efficient.
... By 2020, televisions on standby will consume 1.4% of all domestic electricity the report warned."
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