8 December 2006
Energy efficiency advice is not hitting home with Britain's teenagers, according to a recent survey conducted by British Gas. The survey analysed the energy habits of 400 13-19-year-olds.
The gas and electricity company claim that the amount of electricity wasted by Britain's youths amounts to enough energy to power London's underground train system for 12 months, according to a Reuters report.
Computer games, gadgets and phone chargers are among the items most likely to be left switched on by the youngsters, with British Gas estimating that over £100 million is wasted every year by gadgets being left on stand-by.
"Almost a third of all the electricity used by teenagers is wasted through leaving appliances on standby," Lois Hedg-peth, energy director at British Gas, said.
"Because of their low power consumption, these devices are often overlooked when households look for ways to save energy," she added.
Teenagers' energy consumption is so great that, at current levels, it exceeds the annual output of the average UK nuclear reactor, or all the country's wind turbines. If all teenagers turned off their gizmos, the UK energy waste levels would drop by a third, according to British Gas' statistics.
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