Ready And Waiting

Britons waste the equivalent of around two power stations worth of electricity each year by leaving TV sets and other gadgets on standby.

The average household has up to 12 gadgets on standby or charging.

A survey carried out by the Energy Savings Trust found that one-in-seven people questioned thought putting devices on standby was actually more energy-efficient than switching them on and off.

It is estimated that the number of TVs in the UK will reach 74 million by 2020, meaning that there will be more televisions than people to watch them.

Estimated annual CO2 emissions from devices left on standby:

Stereos - 1,600,000 tonnes
Videos - 960,000 tonnes
TVs - 480,000 tonnes
Consoles - 390,000 tonnes
DVD players - 100,000 tonnes
Set-top boxes - 60,000 tonnes