Date published: 2007/07/04
The BBC says:
The growing popularity of hi-tech devices, such as flat-screen TVs and digital radios, threaten to undermine efforts to save energy, a report says.
UK consumers spend £12bn a year on electronics, much of which is less efficient than older technology, a study by the Energy Saving Trust found.
By 2020, the gadgets will account for about 45% of electricity used in UK households, the organisation projected.
It said flat-screen TVs and digital radios were among the worst offenders.
Paula Owen, author of the report called The Ampere Strikes Back, said household appliances currently consumed about a third of an average home's electricity.
But she warned this was likely to increase as a result of people buying more energy-intensive devices.
"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.
...
The equivalent of 14 power stations will be needed just to power consumer electronic devices by 2020, the report warned.By that time televisions on standby will consume 1.4% of all domestic electricity, it predicted.
Digital radios were also singled out by the report as being energy intensive.
"Traditional analogue radios consume about two watts when they are switched on," Dr Owen said.
"We've looked at digital radios and the average consumption of these is eight watts."
She added that listening to the radio via digital TVs or set-top boxes had an average consumption of more than 100 watts.
The BBC included a chart in the story which showed that per square inch new TVs in fact are not "less efficient than older technology". It is just that people are buying bigger TVs. And heaven forbid that the peasants are allowed to do that. And to complain about eight watts versus two watts for digital versus analog radio is pathetic, they are both incredibly low numbers, and digital radio is better for other reasons. 100 watts to listen to radio via TV is more of an issue. Of course most people haven't a clue about how much energy any gadget uses, and that is the one area which needs improvement.
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