Love of electrical gadgets could see UK miss emission targets

The Energy Saving Trust has published a report, entitled 'You and your electrical elephant', looking into the UK's energy usage and as it says, "the reading ain't too pretty".

Most of the blame lays with our "obsession" with gadgets - in 2009, the average home contained 3 and a half times as many gadgets as it did in 1980.

The worst offenders are large plasma tv's, large fridge freezers which incorporate ice makers and tumble driers.

Despite hammering the message home about choosing energy efficient models  - a call the manufacturers have answered by developing newer, more efficient models, the UK is actually consuming more energy than it did 5 years ago.

The report cites progress has been made - banning patio heaters and incandescent lightbulbs but more could still be done.

For example, if every household replaced their old fridge freezer, washing machine and dishwasher with new energy efficient models, we could save a collective £585 million of our energy bills.

The next time one of your home appliances needs replacing, energy efficiency should be one of the key features you look for in its replacement.

Also, leaving devices and chargers on standby / plugged in when not in use still uses electricity. With the amount of 'gadgets' in the average home, switching them all of could make considerable savings - for you and the planet.

Read the Energy Saving Trust's full report here.

photo credit: jason meredith