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Plasma and liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions are becoming hot items with British consumers. Eight out of ten TVs sold today are flat screens. But even with their popularity, flat screen TVs are the latest 'gotta-have' gadget being shunned by environmental groups.

A Government-funded group called Energy Saving Trust (EST) says that flat screens on average are 50% larger than cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions - and quadruple the energy needed to run them.

If you're talking carbon emissions, CRT TVs produce around 100kg of CO2 per year. Plasmas come in at 400kg of CO2 per year (depending on the size).

The best way to see how much energy your TV needs is to measure its watts per inch. A CRT TV uses approximately 3.4 watts per inch. A flat panel (plasma) uses 9.4 watts per inch.

If you can't bear the thought of losing your flat screen, but want to help where you can, try making sure your television is turned off (not on stand by) when you are not watching it.

Also, try and reduce the brightness of the screen a little (10-15%). You can also purchase a 'peripheral socket' that switches off all the peripherals of your TV/computer when you shut down.

TV	Size (inches)	Watts/inch	Annual kWh	Annual cost	Annual kg CO2
CRT	40	3.4	242	£20.98	104.06
LCD	42	6.4	310	£26.88	133.3
Plasma	42	9.4	746	£64.68	320.78

(Figures represent televisions being watched five hours a day for one year.)

Video game consoles are just as guilty as TVs. These extremely popular devices, such as the Xbox and PlayStation, are energy hogs. Some popular brands are compared here:

Console	Idle kWh	Cost	Played kWh	Annual cost	Annual idle kg CO2	Annual played kg CO2
PlayStation 1	1.7	£0.15	4.5	£0.39	4.08	1.94
PlayStation 2	17.5	£1.51	22	£1.91	42	9.46
PlayStation 3	30	£2.58	277	£22.85	72	119.11
Xbox	3.5	£0.30	51	£4.42	8.40	21.93
Xbox 360	17.5	£1.51	116	£10.06	42	49.88
Gamecube	3.5	£0.30	15	£1.30	8.40	6.45
Dreamcast	3.5	£0.30	16	£1.39	8.40	6.88
Wii	7.3	£0.63	12.41	£1.08	17.52	5.34

As technology grows, it seems that energy consumption follows suit. From plasma TVs to video consoles, home entertainment is a major cause of CO2 emissions. The cost per year alone is enough incentive to make sure your device is turned off when it is not in use.

Before upgrading or buying the 'next version' console, take into account what impact it has on all of us. Calculate your carbon footprint and offset your household emissions