German consumers waste 9 billion euros worth of power each year – survey
Clean Energy Wire
Private households in Germany could save 9 billion euros and 18 million tonnes of CO2 each year by following electricity saving advice, according to a survey (Stromspiegel) by co2online and others. Using washing machines and dryers more efficiently, switching off standby functions and using laptops instead of desktop computers, could save an average two-person household 400 euros per year in power costs – or 570 euros for a four-person household and cut carbon emissions by 1,230 kilos, the authors say.
The survey used data from over 200,000 private households and found their electricity consumption had remained stagnant over recent years. Germany has an overall target of reducing gross electricity consumption by 10 percent by 2020 (compared to 2008) and by 25 percent by 2050. By 2016 it had achieved a 3.6 percent reduction.
