26 February 2008
Consumers are being asked to switch off any unused electrical items tomorrow, February 27th, when the UK marks its first E-Day.
The initiative is aimed at limiting electricity wastage and requires people to switch off household gadgets for 24 hours starting at 18:00 GMT tomorrow evening.
However, uSwitch.com found that this seemingly simple task might be quite a tall order for some "digitally dependent" consumers.
Its research discovered that more than 22 million mobile phone users charge their phone to capacity every day.
This so-called comfort charging of mobiles results in 14.1 billion hours of wasted energy hours annually, the price comparison and switching service claimed.
And it is not just the environment that is paying the cost of these actions, with consumers also paying higher energy bills as a result.
"If we become more aware of the electricity we use we can work towards reducing our bills and our impact on the environment," commented uSwitch.com director of consumer policy Ann Robinson.
She urged consumers to use their electrical goods in a way that is "responsible and energy-efficient".
"If E-Day makes everyone in the UK think that little bit more about the electricity they use and how much it costs them then it will have done its job," Ms Robinson concluded.
© 2008 Adfero Ltd
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