Gadgets 'need to go green'

An analyst has warned home-entertainment device manufacturers that they need to make greener gadgets to appeal to eco-conscious consumers.

Michael Philpott of Ovum has said that people buying electrical goods are increasingly concerned about energy consumption, both in terms of the cost and the environmental effects.

Ovum has calculated that a typical home IPTV set-up consisting of an ADSL router, TV set-top box and external server would cost approximately £40 per year in electricity charges, even without taking into account the cost of running a TV, which could be as much as £65.

"Consumers will become increasingly concerned about the amount of power electronic devices are consuming. If the industry is going to continue with this concept of being continuously connected, it must also start to take such issues seriously," Philpott said.

Devices such as the PlayStation 3 would use up £85 worth of electricity a year if left on permanently. Although it is unlikely that a PS3 would be permanently switched on, devices such as routers, which are left switched on all the time, account for nearly £5 per year.

Philpott said that there were opportunities for forward-looking telcos (telecommunications companies) prepared to push home-networking devices that operated economically.

"Keeping more of the intelligence and actual content within the network will reduce the complexity of the devices in the home and remove the need to keep them on to access content and applications," he said.

A new service called PC Power Down, launched recently, could cut electricity bills by as much as £175 per year, its makers claim.

The package costs £30 and will power down your PC at a specified time each day. When you switch the power back on the PC will be returned to the same state as it was when it was shut down with all applications and files open and ready to use.

Read Web User's guide to eco-friendly gadgets.

www.ovum.com
www.pcpowerdown.com