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Flat-Screen TVs Threaten Energy Saving Efforts

Efforts to reduce the amount of energy we use in our homes are being threatened by the growing popularity of gadgets such as flat-screen plasma and LCD TVs. A study by the Energy Saving Trust found that UK consumers spend around £12bn a year on electronics, much of which is less efficient than older technology.

The Energy Saving Trust predicts that by 2020 gadgets, such as flat-screen plasma and LCD TVs, along with digital radios, will account for about 45% of electricity used in UK households. Paula Owen, author of the report called The Ampere Strikes Back, said that household appliances currently consumed about a third of an average home's electricity. She warned that this figure was likely to increase further as a result of people buying more energy-intensive devices.

Talking to the BBC, Dr Owen explained: "Your old-fashioned, bulky cathode ray tube TV on average consumed about 100 watts of electricity when it was switched on. 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. Pretty much in every other sector [such as fridges and washing machines], we find that as the technology moves on, the products get more and more efficient. Consumer electronics does not work like that."

The report warned that the equivalent of 14 power stations will be needed just to power consumer electronic devices by 2020, with a prediction that televisions on standby will consume 1.4% of all domestic electricity.

The report called for governments, manufacturers and retailers to do more to promote energy efficient devices, but also said consumers had a role to play by switching off appliances when they are not in use.


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