The Ampere Strikes Back

The demand for high tech gadgets is cancelling out attempts to lower carbon emissions, according to a fantastically named report - The Ampere Strikes Back, by the Energy Saving Trust.

The report estimates that our demand for home entertainment goods will increase, and that by 2020 it will cost £4 billion a year to run all those gadgets. This alone would require 14 power stations, and a lot of that would be wasted power; £607 million of that figure is caused by standby wastage.

Chief executive, Philip Sellwood, explains that it's trends such as watching TV or listening to the radio on a computer which will cause much of the increase. It uses far more energy to do this, than people used to with a dedicated radio or TV. "It's highly unlikely that consumers realise that this uses far more energy than conventional means, or that some digital radios use almost as much energy when considered switched off at the unit as they do while switched on, while a new flat panel TV can use up to three times more electricity than a 'traditional' TV."

According to the report, people are also increasing the number of gadgets in the home. Often when a device such as a television is replaced, the old unit it put in another room. This also has a large impact on energy usage. ::New Consumer ::The Ampere Strikes Back report