Energy efficient use of radios

Radio can be listened to in a wide variety of shapes and forms including transistor radios, clock radios, MP3 players, built into audio systems, mobile phones and computers or via Internet iPlayers. Not all radios add a lot to the electricity bill, but there are certain areas that you should watch out for.

Advice on using radios
Many of our appliances feature built-in radios but do not generally add too much to the electricity bill. However, you should be aware of the 3 points below:

  1. Switch off the radio when not in use
    The best advice is to remember to switch off the radio when you are not listening to it.
  2. Switch off DAB radios at the mains socket
    It’s a good idea to switch off DAB radios at the plug. Many DAB radios actually have a high standby consumption of 40-50 kWh when the radio is off but is still plugged in.
  3. Check consumption on radios with separate power supplies
    If you buy a radio with an external power supply, make sure that the standby consumption does not exceed 1 watt. If you can’t find any information about this, then look at the power supply. Large and heavy power supplies are a sign of poor quality and high standby consumption.

Power consumption for radios
Smaller radios typically use between 10 and 50 kWh of power a year.

Check power consumption before buying a new radio
Ask about the power consumption in the on and standby modes and choose a model with the lowest consumption. Standby consumption should not exceed 1 watt.

Meter your consumption with a SparOmeter
Borrow or buy a SparOmeter to keep track of the power used by your appliances. This accurate meter measures the power consumption in both the on and standby modes.

Page last updated 06.10.2008