Leaving electronics on standby costs the UK £1.3bn a year
TVs, computers and other electrical products plugged in but not in use or left on standby cost the UK up to £1.3bn in electricity bills every year.
That's according to a new report on energy usage from the Energy Saving Trust, called Powering the Nation – household electricity-using habits revealed.
The report also reveals that people in the UK are watching 10 billion hours more TV than previously thought, adding £205m to electricity bills.
Environment minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach says: "As this survey shows, we are using a lot more energy than previously thought. Manufacturers need to develop more energy-effiicient electrical products and help consumers save money and the environment.
"We can all do simple things like switching off our TVs, computers and other home electronics when we're not using them and save up to £85 on electricity bills each year."
Powering the Nation is the first study in the UK to measure and monitor electricity usage in real time in real-life situations, breaking down which electrical items are being used, when, for how long, and how much power they use.
It was conducted in conjunction with the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
The UK Government says it is working with the European Union to ensure that Green Energy labels are displayed on all new electrical appliances for sale, providing information about the energy consumption and performance of domestic appliances.
• Do you leave your TV, computer or home entertainment system in standby when it's not being used? Let us know in the Comments box below.
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Comments
Now, a discussion on the pros and cons of switching off traffic lights after 7pm - that I would like to see!
They need a report to find out we are watching more TV!??
Anyone could have told them this as there are more sources of media than ever before, Freeview, Freesat, Sky, Netfix, Lovefilm BBC iPlayer to name but a few all adding to the viewing time.
Power is also consumed by our wireless routers and many now have a media server or NAS to add to the media sources. Add in all the iPad, Laptop and phone chargers along with home cinema amplifiers and subwoofers and it is no surpprise the energy consumption is steadily rising for the average home.
Only turning the clock back 30 years could reduce the energy needs for the modern world! What we need is a clean reliable source of power otherwise we will be forced back to the 60's sooner than we think!
My old Krell amp uses more juice on standby than new ones do when playing full tilt. But still going strong after 14 years. i see it as part of the cost of ownership.
Switch off traffic lights after 7pm? Now you're talking!
The EU regulations in reagrds to standby power are that any product sold from Jan 2013 must have a standby power less than 0.5W (unless is have a display on then its less than 1W). Manufacutrers are having to meet this and lots of work is happening around this.
I think that the biggest culprits in AV will be set-top boxes as these have to be on even when on holiday as the wife can not live without her Holby fix..... even though she works in the NHS!!!
You don't see any dramas set in the consumer electronics industry do you, argh thats because people would find it boring if they don't work in the industry...... well guess what the same goes for Holby!!!!!!
Hmmmmm think that I maight need to cut down the coffee
I always turn the TV off. I always turn my laptop off (unless it is specifically running overnight for some purpose). The V+ box is, I admit, just switched to standby. But, when I consider the other appliances that are all running in the background, I think these are just a spit in the ocean. There's also the Other Half to contend with - born in a barn, has trouble with light switches (other than to turn them on, of course) and often leaves TV on, computer on and other such things when in a completely different part of the house. I've got no chance!
As for the TV breakdown thing - never had a problem. Same is true of computers and monitors. Despite the alleged 'shock' of switch on and off, I can't say I have ever come across any failure you could point the finger at and say: "that wouldn't have happened if you'd left the device on 24/7".
I'm all in favour of keeping energy consumption down and in today's electronics-based society expect the designers and manufacturers to be doing their bit too. Besides, when I drive past an empty shopping centre at night, I can't help but wonder how much all those lights are wasting. True, there are security aspects, but surely you don't need all of that illumination? Across the country that must be adding up to far more than waste by householders. And what about the walls of TV sets in electronics retailers and so on and so on...
Specified standby for a Samsung TV: Under 0.1W
Specified standby for Yamaha Receiver: ≤0.1W
So this is not really true for modern equipment.
I tend to switch off thr TV and its connected peripherals such as the amplifier, DVD player, Blu Ray player ever night at the socket. Likewise I do the same for my main computer with the exception of my Broadband router.
I agree with the previous comment that other white good manufacturers should aspire to get standby consumption to a watter or less.
never leave anything on standby. Nor did my parents. None of us has ever had a telly break*. Has anyone actually proven a link between standby and reduced likelihood of failure, or is it a case of correlation implying causation?
* I may have dropped a CRT when moving house...... but that had nothing to do with standby usage/non-usage.
I have always left TVs on standby and I have never had one break down on me. Every person I know who follows advice and turns off at the plug has had TV failures and it cost them a damn site more to have it repaired than the @ 1 watt [or less] per hour that the electricity has cost.
I do think that if TV manufacturers can get standby consumption to a watt or less [and have done for many years] then other electrical manufacturers should be required to do the same.