Consoles waste GBP 70 million of energy every year - report

A British government energy review due out this week will claim that videogames consoles are responsible for GBP 70 million of wasted energy each year, according to The Times newspaper.

The report will highlight what has been widely known for some time - that consumer electronics devices are increasingly leaking energy at an alarming rate while in standby mode.

Last month, a group of bloggers in the United States reported that while the original PlayStation leaked just 0.2W - accounting for some 1.752kWh wasted each year - the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2 both leak a massive 2W, or 17.52kWh each year.

The energy review proposes a number of measures to minimise energy waste, including working with electronics companies to phase out costly standby routines that drain energy while the device is not in use.

The review document is emerging in a politically charged atmosphere, with the debate over Britain's future energy generation and usage intensifying greatly in recent weeks due to controversial plans to build new nuclear power stations.

As a result, the findings of the review are likely to be taken very seriously - but at present, the review remains just that, and there has been no indication of which, if any, of its findings are likely to be incorporated into future legislation.

Even if the suggestion on standby modes is eventually phased into law in the UK, it's unlikely that this would happen for several years - meaning that none of the new generation of consoles would be affected by the law, although the manufacturers may choose to voluntarily modify their hardware in order to bring it in line with the energy review's recommendations.