Gadgets to use 45% of electricity in households by 2020

Posted on Sunday, July 08 2007 @ 20:31 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck

All sorts of gadgets are getting more popular and popular but these things eat a lot of energy. The British Energy Saving Trust found that by 2020, gadgets will account for 45% of the electricity usage in UK households.

The most energy-intensive devices appear to be flat-screen TVs and digital radios.

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.

"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."

Source: BBC.

About the Author

Thomas De Maesschalck

Thomas has been messing with computer since early childhood and firmly believes the Internet is the best thing since sliced bread. Enjoys playing with new tech, is fascinated by science, and passionate about financial markets. When not behind a computer, he can be found with running shoes on or lifting heavy weights in the weight room.

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