CONSUMER
Gadgets driving up energy demand: report
05-07-2007
by Emmet Ryan
Electronic devices in the home are leading to excess power usage, according to the Energy Savings Trust, a British body aimed at tackling climate change.
A new report by the group, entitled "The ampere strikes back: How consumer electronics are taking over the world", estimates that by 2010 the consumer electronics sector will be the biggest single user of electricity in the home.
By 2020 entertainment devices, computers and gadgets will account for 45 percent of all domestic power usage in Britain and will require the equivalent of 14 average sized power stations to meet their needs.
The study said the increasing use of power by consumer electronics was down to consumers' use of more devices overall and to newer, higher spec versions of devices requiring more power than older models, like TVs for example.
The report found that it is also easier for devices to be left on all day, continuing to consume power while in idle or standby mode. Despite less functions being carried out while in such a state, devices such as televisions tend to use almost as much power while idle or on standby as they do while in active use.
Consumer electronics are being used more than ever before, according to the Energy Savings Trust. In 2005 the third most popular activity amongst British people, after sleeping and working, was to either watch TV or DVDs or to listen to music, with these activities accounting for more than half the day of the average person, the study said.
The ICT sector has contributed heavily to increased power usage, according to the report, with the amount of power used by ICT devices in the UK doubling between 2000 and 2006.
The study indicates that although power usage is on the rise there is reason to be hopeful as the convergence of applications onto individual devices could result in a reduction in power usage. The Energy Savings Trust cited Apple's iPhone, which was recently launched in the US, as a potential example of devices that will reduce the need for power consumption as it combines the functions of an MP3 player and a phone into one device as well as providing access to e-mail and internet functions.
Building your list: Denise Cox says that in order to build a subscription list you need to be proactive about securing subscriber attention.
