Telling Americans to be more careful and conscientious about buying new power-hungry gadgets is practically un-American (particularly in this economy). But looks like it’s more kosher in the U.K. — according to a report by the watchdog group The Energy Saving Trust, U.K. households’ increasing gadget addiction is leading to rising energy consumption in homes, and that could mean that the country doesn’t meet its national carbon emissions reduction targets for reducing household energy consumption.
According to the report, U.K. residents should focus on buying more energy efficient products, or consider whether they need those gadgets at all. The report’s author Paula Owen writes: “We need to ask ourselves is that ice-maker in the fridge a necessity? Do I need to leave those chargers on the whole time? Do I need a 50+ inch TV screen? There’s more to this issue than using energy efficient light bulbs.”
The report says that the U.K. could miss its targets of reducing domestic appliance energy use by 34 percent by 2020, because U.K. residents are buying more appliances and gadgets and some of those devices are being left on for extended periods of time. Particular pain points are large plasma TV’s, large fridge freezers with ice-maker and and tumble dryers. Other reports have found that DVRs are particular energy hogs.
Not doubt it’s the same trend for Americans. But as an American reading this, you’re probably thinking, wow, other countries have really specific energy reduction goals, and are devising plans to try to meet those goals. The U.S. in contrast takes a lot more business-friendly approach, like with its voluntary Energy Star for appliances and gadgets program. Though, the U.S. mandate to phase out inefficient incandescent light bulbs managed to stay in place.
The answer at the end of the day is manufacturers making more energy efficient appliances and gadgets, and consumers buying those products instead of less-efficient ones. That is working for industry, and gear to power the Internet and computing has actually gotten more efficient over time. For mobile devices, that is the trend, too — cell phones have gotten more efficient over time as a way to extend the battery life. But this trend needs to happen across all appliances, like white goods, TV’s, and set-top-boxes.
Photo courtesy of (CC BY 2.0) Flickr user Tanjila Ahmed.
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