U.K. To Outlaw Standby Buttons on Electronics

The British government is to outlaw standby switches on televisions and video and DVD players to cut the amount of electricity wasted in the home. Refrigerators, washing machines and dishwashers will have to become energy-efficient, and lightbulbs that burn too much energy will be phased out. The government's Energy Review, released yesterday, reports that standby facilities use 8 per cent of all domestic electricity in the U.K. Businesses will have to phase out or reduce drastically the energy used by computers, printers and photocopiers left on standby. Energy efficiency is one of the main planks of the Government’s Energy Review, which is intended to lay out how Britain receives and uses its power for the next 20 years. :: Via The Times Online