Gadgets left charging have financial and environmental costs

Gadgets on standby or charging run up a �62m bill and use 360,000 tonnes of CO2 in Scotland every year, a study shows.

The Energy Saving Trust said the country was in the grip of an energy obesity epidemic.

To mark Energy Saving Week, the trust has published figures showing the true cost of leaving appliances plugged in during the day or overnight.

Philip Sellwood, the trust's chief executive, said the problem could prove catastrophic in the long-term.

SCOTLAND'S ENERGY PITFALLS 52% of Scots have more than five appliances on standby 16% believe turning appliances off uses more energy 29% of Scots are turned off by an energy saving lifestyle

"As well as increasing energy bills, energy wastage is encouraging climate change that could prove catastrophic for the UK," he said.

"Every time a gadget or appliance is needlessly left on standby, the energy used results in carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere.

"It is imperative that we become more aware of how using energy has a direct impact on the environment."

A typical household in Scotland could have 12 gadgets on standby or charging at the same time.

The trust said energy gluttons were responsible for four tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per person every year.

Its findings were published in a paper entitled Energy Waste in an Age of Excess.

The trust said three quarters of the population wasted high levels of energy on a daily basis.