Green Standby in UK

As some of my readers know, BBC's "The Green Room" is a column which serves to spark environmental debate on their website. It is frequently an interesting and informative read, and often touches on issues of climate change and energy use. This week's piece is about the Standby Power issue - meaning that power that is used when devices are not actually in use (your plugged in cell phone charger, the turned off flat screen television). Many environmentalists see these devices as an easy way to reduce energy use - simply unplug electronic devices when they are not in use. Sadly, for many of us, unplugging and replugging devices does not easily fit into an already hectic schedule.

However, Douglas Johnson has some useful reminders when it comes to this issue - although he uses examples from the UK, rather than US. He uses the example that in the past 20 years, standby power use by televisions has decreased from 30W (1995) to 1.8W and is still decreasing. Johnson is interested in proving that the utilities industry self-regulates when it comes to using energy more efficiently, and although I very much doubt that that is the case, it is interesting to remember the strides that have already been made on this issue. Finally, he issues a much needed reminder that energy USE is much more intensive than energy DISUSE. So perhaps, rather than unplugging your electrical appliances when not in use, try to buy Energy-Star rated electrical appliances, and stay away from that huge flat screen television (a true guzzler of energy, and fossil fuels).