Standby Buttons on Household appliances

Sarahwx

I've been having a discussion about standby buttons, personally I always turn things off, saves money naturally, but I'm also now more aware then ever of the energy use and damage to the earth from our lifestyles.

Views seem to be mixed about the amount of money saved but as a total in the UK i bet the amount of money and energy is huge. What do you all think?

tr3mor

I think that if I left all the electrical items in my house on standby they would consume less than a 60w incandescent bulb.

There are other things you can do to save energy, like using energy saving bulbs, that will have a much greater impact.

moonrakerz

There was a man on the BBC radio the other day (I think he was from Dixons !) discussing the abolition of standby buttons.
When asked how disabled people would cope if a TV was turned off, he replied: "they would use the remote control" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

stebiz

Yes but are you actually saying that we should have 'standby' buttons just so that disabled people can put a device on standby?? There are very few disabled people who can't switch on a tv button, even less who don't have a helper, and even less who can't walk or manage to get to an on/off button. Does it justify wasting millions of watts of electricity - that could light hundreds of villages for a year. I am all for helping disabled people but this is just plain daft.

Stebiz

moonrakerz

stebiz wrote: »

Yes but are you actually saying that we should have 'standby' buttons just so that disabled people can put a device on standby?? There are very few disabled people who can't switch on a tv button, even less who don't have a helper, and even less who can't walk or manage to get to an on/off button. Does it justify wasting millions of watts of electricity - that could light hundreds of villages for a year. I am all for helping disabled people but this is just plain daft.

Stebiz

I'm not saying anything - I was just quoting a man from one of the UK's major suppliers of electrical suppliers who clearly is talking out of his nether regions.

I have to disagree with your rather sweeping statement about disabled people - there are many people who struggle to get up from a chair or a bed to switch on/off the TV. The "waste" of a couple of Watts to these people is a God's send !
AND there are plenty of people who don't have a "helper", as you so disdainfully put it ! You obviously believe all the c**p that the government is putting out about how wonderful the NHS is.

Jazzy_B

I turn things off at the plug, usually, but I have a problem with the plug socket for my TV , video, DVD etc. It's really difficult to get to, so I've got a timer switch on at the plug, to turn the things off from midnight to early evening.
Saves me watching daytime TV as well , as I can't be bothered to turn it on at the plug!

Justie

what's annoying is the new LCD tvs that only have a standby and don't have an off button - yes you can turn it off at the plug but that's annoying and if anything else on the same socket has a timer set on it then it needs resetting every time.

As I don't use standard 60W bulbs I don't know how much they use but even if that's all turning things off properly saves then it's still something. Every little counts and all that...

Cardew

stebiz wrote: »

that could light hundreds of villages for a year. Stebiz

Why would you want to light hundreds of villages?

There is much nonsense talked about standby consumption - we live in the
21st century and if we want to spend a few pence per year for our convenience - so be it.

Perhaps the zealots who are so keen on saving electricity should consider how much time they spend on the internet posting on MSE about people wasting electricity.

moonrakerz

Cardew wrote: »

Why would you want to light hundreds of villages?

There is much nonsense talked about standby consumption - we live in the
21st century and if we want to spend a few pence per year for our convenience - so be it.

Perhaps the zealots who are so keen on saving electricity should consider how much time they spend on the internet posting on MSE about people wasting electricity.

The same people who still use incandescent light bulbs, have 2 inches of fibre glass in the loft, no lagging on the hot water tank and leave the outside floodlight on 24 hrs a day !

tr3mor

moonrakerz wrote: »

The same people who still use incandescent light bulbs, have 2 inches of fibre glass in the loft, no lagging on the hot water tank and leave the outside floodlight on 24 hrs a day !

But at least that single LED and IR receiver isn't killing giant pandas! :rotfl:

dounome

Slightly off topic but as a firefighter we give home safety checks and advise not using stand by buttons as they are a fire risk.