Intellect's Consumer Electronics Council has joined the British Retail Consortium, retailers and the Government to work on the details of an initiative to phase out energy-intensive consumer electronics products that cost consumers and the environment dearly, Minister for Climate Change Joan Ruddock said today.

The manufacturers' organisation, Intellect, has joined the initiative announced in the autumn to develop proposals to promote energy efficient consumer electronics products.

Joan Ruddock said:"In 2006, consumer electronics used 15 per cent of the UK's total domestic electricity consumption. If we do nothing, that could double by 2020. But switching to more efficient products, and taking the least efficient products off our shelves, will cut CO2 emissions and save people money.

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"We need to start the switch off for inefficient electronics. We want to work with everyone involved in producing and selling these products to make them more efficient, and I'm pleased that the major manufacturers have joined the ambitious work programme to look at what can be done - which is starting by looking at set top boxes and standby levels."

Meeting with key names from the UK's consumer electronics manufacturers, Joan Ruddock emphasised the importance of working with the industry to take forward government plans to improve performance standards and promote energy efficient choices to consumers in a drive to slash CO2 emissions by up to 1MtCO2 a year - the equivalent of taking a million cars off the road.

This initiative will aim to set clear targets in the next few months and participants will be looking at ways to analyse the energy efficiency of consumer electronic products, starting with set-top boxes and to consider how a significant reduction could be made in stand-by energy use.

The British Retail Consortium is leading the work, in partnership with the Government, the Energy Saving Trust, retailers and manufacturers to develop proposals for an initiative to promote more energy efficient consumer electronics products with the aim of cementing commitments in early 2008.

(GK)