Its tests found a Playstation 3, switched on but not in use, could cost almost A$250 a year in electrical bills, whereas a fridge would cost less than $50 a year.
Plasma television sets were among the top energy guzzlers, consuming more than four times as much energy as a traditional analogue set.
Choice said the average desktop PC, tested independently of its monitor, was third on the list of top energy consumers. But an Apple iMac, an all-in-one model with a built-in display, used just two-thirds of the energy consumed by a monitor-less PC.
FOOTNOTE: Australia's Energy Star system does provide for awarding the star to computers that meet certain standards – including blanking the screen after 15 idle minutes - but does not give comparative star ratings, refrigerator-style, for energy consumption.
