Computers, televisions and other devices such as DVD players with standby settings could be outlawed by new EU legislation.

These will be some of the gadgets targeted in a new legislative drive aimed at getting people to turn off their energy "vampire appliances" and help cut the EU's energy consumption by 20 per cent by 2020.

The proposed regulations would impose EU standards globally because manufacturers seeking to sell their products in the EU would have to comply with these "minimum energy performance standards".

If they don't they will be unable to export their products and sell them within the EU.

Manufacturers will have five years - until 2012 - in which to get their products to the required standards. They could also be forced to label the energy efficiency of their products so consumers decide to opt for low energy models.

Many companies are already using low energy and carbon offsetting as marketing claims for their devices.

The European Commission said the savings to consumers switching off devices in standby mode alone would be up to €84 annually year.

It said equipment, such as multimedia, personal computers, printers, scanners and permanently connected modems and cellular phone chargers already amount to as much as 20 per cent of household electricity consumption. About half of this figure is due to stand-by losses, when the equipment is connected to the grid but not in use.

Energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs said: "Europeans need to save energy. Europe wastes at least 20 per cent of the energy it uses. By saving energy, Europe will help address climate change, as well as its rising consumption, and its dependence on fossil fuels imported from outside the Union's borders.

"Energy efficiency is crucial for Europe: If we take action now, the direct cost of our energy consumption could be reduced by more than ¬100 billion a nnually by 2020; around 780 millions tonnes of CO2 will also be avoided yearly, " he said.