How to use less electricityStandby and electricity

Consumer electronics, such as TVs and hi-fis, use around 16% of total domestic electricity – and this figure is rising.

Unlike white goods, which are rated for energy efficiency, there’s little information on other electronics goods' efficiency – except for Which? tests, of course.

But there is one way to drastically reduce the amount of money you waste: switch them off when you’re not using them.

The tables shows the typical energy use of common household electronics in standby mode. A typical combination of the these products left on standby could cost you almost £40 a year.

TVs

The Energy Saving Trust recommends TV power consumption should be below 2 watts in standby.

Some TVs in our tests fail this. And, in general, conventional widescreen TVs use less power in standby (typically 1-2W) compared with or screens (typically 1-4W).

DVD players

How much energy standby mode uses
Equipment	Rating	Standby power consumption (W)	Annual standby cost
DVD players	Bad	6.10	£4.27
	Average	1.80	£1.26
	Good	0.10	£0.07

DVD recorders

How much energy standby mode uses
Equipment	Rating	Standby power consumption (W)	Annual standby cost
DVD recorders	Bad	20.30	£14.23
	Average	7.31	£5.12
	Good	3.20	£2.24

Freeview set-top boxes

How much energy standby mode uses
Equipment	Rating	Standby power consumption (W)	Annual standby cost
Freeview set-top boxes	Bad	22.60	£15.84
	Average	11.81	£8.28
	Good	5.50	£3.85

Freeview boxes can be a big drain on electricity. When in use, set-top boxes typically use 4-12W. Switch them to standby, and power consumption drops only marginally.

Most Freeview set-top boxes don’t have proper on/off switches. Plus you need the box in standby to pick up over-the-air software updates (which add functionality to the box, improve the EPG and so on).

You can get round this by keeping an eye on the DTG website or manufacturer websites. They provide a schedule of updates, so in the meantime you can switch your box off (at the mains if it doesn’t have an off button) without the fear of missing out.

Of course you could save energy by buying an IDTV – one less box, TVs use less power in standby and they usually come with an ‘off’ button.

Sky+

The Sky+ PVR doesn’t have a proper switch – to save wear on the hard drive, the standby mode doesn't switch if off. There’s not much you can do about this.