Monday 7 November 2011

UK energy bills on the up due to gadget addiction

It looks as if UK consumers' addiction to gadgets means the country will have a hard time meeting targets for cutting home energy use.

It seems that Brits can’t get enough of their gadgets. A report by the UK’s Energy Saving Trust, an NPO that promotes the use of sustainable energy, says that despite a greater awareness of ways to save energy in the home, many British citizens are so addicted to their gadgets that energy bills and emissions are on the rise.

According to the Energy Saving Trust’s report (pdf), titled The Elephant in the Living Room, targets for cutting home energy use by 34 percent before 2020 are in jeopardy as a result of the growing popularity of items such as personal computers, large refrigerators and smartphones.

Commenting on the report’s findings, its author Dr Paula Owen said: “If we look over the last five years a lot has changed and a lot of progress has been made making the most energy-sapping appliances more efficient. But where we still have a long way to go is with our gadgets and home entertainment appliances, which are using more and more electricity.”

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