Home entertainment and electronics

Always remember to switch appliances off standby when you've finished using them. Incredibly, £1 billion worth of energy is wasted in the UK every year by people leaving appliances on standby.

Televisions

The latest integrated digital televisions (IDTVs) have the capacity to receive digital signals without the need for a set top box, so they use one power supply instead of two. Unlike many set top boxes, IDTV's can be switched off without losing their settings and so don't have to be left on standby. An Energy Saving Trust Recommended IDTV can save around £4 a year and 17 kilograms of CO ₂ each year compared to a similar TV and set top box and are the most efficient in their class.

Find out more about Energy Saving Trust Recommended televisions

Set-top boxes

Between 2008 and 2012, every television in the UK will be switching to digital television and will need to be compatible with a digital signal to be able to receive broadcasts. If you are planning to replace your TV set, you can buy an IDTV; if not, you can purchase a set top box to receive a digital signal. An Energy Saving Trust Recommended standard set top box can use up to a third less energy while in on-mode than a typical set top box and therefore will cost about 30 per cent less to run.

Find out more about Energy Saving set top boxes

DAB radios

Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) radios convert traditional analogue signals into a digital format prior to transmission. Energy Saving Trust Recommended DAB radios use around 76% less electricity annually than a standard radio. If the next 9 million DAB radios bought in the UK were all Energy Saving Trust Recommended we would save enough electricity to run the street lighting of the entire UK for nearly 2 months. Find out more about DAB radios

Find out more about Energy Saving Trust Recommended DAB radios