Go Green With Your Gadgets

By: Annie Deakin Click author's name for more of his/her articles

1. Energise
Small enough to sit in the palm of your hand, and stylish enough to blend in with any contemporary environment, the Wattson Home Energy Meter (149 pounds, Home Temptations) measures and displays the amount of electricity being used in your home in Jack Bauer-style real time. Displaying energy consumption in either watts or pounds sterling, it shows you which gadgets cost the environment the most and jogs your conscience to get energy efficient - which will also save you money.

2. Beaming wonderful
Essentially a light without the bother of an electrical supply, the Glow Brick (19.95 pounds) from 'iwantoneofthose' is a phosphorescent light bulb entombed in a transparent acrylic brick. The Glow Brick soaks up the sun during the day, and when the lights dim it comes to life, emitting a soft glow. Available in blue and green, it makes for a soothing night-time companion.

3. What a wind-up
Mains electricity is so overrated; opt instead for the power of a wind-up. The Wind Up Trevor Bayliss Eco Media Player (129.95 pounds) from Natural Collection sports FM radio, movie, photo and music player with a 1.8-inch colour LCD screen, voice recorder, data storage and even an LED torch! One wind-up delivers 40 minutes of juice or you can charge it via a USB if you're feeling a little weary.

4. Eco-digital revolution
With the Digital Switchover already underway, it's time to upgrade your analogue TV to a digital set top box. Sagem's ECO Box (24.99 pounds) is the ethical choice thanks to its low-consumption Freeview receiver that uses hardly any power in standby mode. Complete with auto set-up and an electronic programme guide, it's a green and simple solution to the digital revolution.

5. It's good to talk - when it's eco
Every home needs a phone, but British Telecom's stylish freestyle 650 eco digital cordless telephone (39.93 pounds) from Homebase brings a twist to the traditional DECT concept. It resides in BT's energy efficient phone family meaning low power consumption without any loss of functionality.

7. Cuppa?
It's a common mistake to boil far too much water in the kettle for just one cup of tea, wasting time and more importantly, precious energy. The Tefal quick cup (59 pounds) from Biome Lifestyle delivers a cup of filtered, piping hot water in just three seconds. Tefal claims it saves up to 65% in energy compared to the common kettle.

8. Environmental tunes
Part of British company PURE's EcoPlus range, the Siesta DAB digital clock radio (49.50 pounds) from John Lewis is not only one of the best value, technologically advanced and stylish digital radios on the market, but also one of the greenest. It benefits from minimised power consumption (both in use and in standby), sustainably sourced and recycled materials and packaging, and soya-based inks for all printed materials.

9. Justify your telly
Eco televisions are on the up, with Sony's 40-inch HD Ready KDL-40D3000U winning the European Imaging and Sound Association's (EISA) award for Green Television 2007-8. In standby mode it consumes just 0.27 watts of power in total - markedly less than its rivals. For something more compact, the Samsung LE26R74BDX 26-inch LCD TV (504.09 pounds, entityguru) is a Nemko certified eco-friendly TV.

10. Sunny delight
Surely the definitive eco-gadget, the Natural Collection's 120wp Solar Panel (795 pounds) provides clean, green and free energy to the tune of 840 watts per day based on seven hours of average daily sunlight hours. It includes bypass diodes to minimise the effect of shadows and delivers maximum power in the smallest size, saving on weight and space.

Boost your home's value with a cheap, easy eco-blitz. Read our green money-spinner guide to get ideas. Our interview with Colin Firth's wife Livia Giuggioli, will also inspire you.

Are green gadgets just a load of hot air? Can they live up to their hype? Let us know what you think below.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

About The Author: Annie is an expert furniture and interior design writer. Her current area of specialism is duvet covers, curtains and home office