Lower power consumption rates for home appliances and office equipment will be mandatory by 2011, Energy Minister Poonpirom Liptapanlop said.

All equipment will be required to consume less than 1 watt of power in standby mode instead of the current 3 to 5 watts. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand said it will adhere to the International Energy Agency standard for standby power consumption by 2011, the Bangkok Post reported.

The new standard will cover televisions, rice cookers, washing machines, dishwashers, personal computers, radio components, DVD players, facsimile machines, printers, copiers, scanners, modems and cordless telephones.

Government officials are convinced the new policy will have a minimal impact on manufacturers. Many of Thailand's electronics come from Japan and Korea.

Thailand will become the third country in Asia to follow the IEA guidelines after Japan and Korea. EGAT hopes to save 500 megawatts a year by using the standard.

The government also said it would speed up its replacement of 140 million fluorescent lights nationwide with new thinner T5 bulbs that consume 40 percent less power.