In-depth energy - The energy drain of idleness

Last month, Britain's Energy Saving Trust published a report, 'The Ampere Strikes Back', claiming that by 2020 a staggering 45 per cent of domestic electricity consumption would be down to gadgets in the home. To reach its estimate, the trust excluded heating, which dominates domestic energy consumption. The basis for the trust's calculation came from a report published by the UK government's Market Transformation Programme (MTP). However, analysts and industry insiders said most consumer-electronics companies now see energy efficiency as a major selling point and are working to cut electricity consumption.